DUSHANBE, May 15, 2014, Asia-Plus — Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reports that Tajik cleric Hoji Mirzo has noted that Tajik youth are brainwashed in Russia to join extremist organizations and in Russia they are recruited for Syrian conflict.
“There is no jihad in Syria,” the cleric noted.
According to him, he together with Domullo Mahmadullo and Qori Amdirddin have visited Russia to meet with Tajik labor migrants to discuss problems of regionalism, solidarity and mutual assistance, and so-called “Syrian jihad.”
Hoji Mirzo has noted that Russia turned into den where special groups recruit Tajik youth for Syrian conflict.
At least one Tajik was killed this year in fighting in Syria.
We will recall that in December 2013, Tajikistan”s Supreme Court sentenced five of the country”s citizens to around two years in jail for fighting on the side of antigovernment forces in Syria. The five were reportedly students at the Syrian International University who decided to join Syrian rebel forces. All five were detained in October when they returned to Tajikistan. Since Tajikistan does not have a law against “mercenaries,” the five were charged with “participation in a criminal group or in other armed groups.”
In a statement released in December last year, Syrian mufti noted that more than 190 Tajik are fighting in Syria on the side of rebel forces.
Last year, there were reports that several Tajik nationals were killed in fighting in Syria.
