QURGHON TEPPA, January 8, 2015, Asia-Plus — Anvar Nazarzoda, a senior aide to Khalton chief prosecutor, says resident of Qurghon Teppa, Murodali Barfiyev, was killed in fighting in Ukraine last year. According to him the body of Barfiyev was returned to Qurghon Teppa from Ukraine last October.
“We had information that Mr. Barfiyev is participating in fighting in Ukraine and criminal proceedings were instituted against him but the case was dropped after his death,” Nazarzoda noted.
“31 residents of Khatlon province are participating in foreign armed conflicts”, the prosecutor said, adding that 43 criminal proceedings were instituted last year against 59 people suspected of terrorism and extremism.
According to data of the Khatlon prosecutor’s office, four criminal proceedings have been instituted in Khatlon this month under the provisions of Article 401’ of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – involvement of Tajik nationals in foreign armed conflicts.
We will recall that in a report released at a news conference in Khujand, Sughd chief prosecutor revealed on January 6 that 35 residents of Sughd are suspected of taking part in foreign armed conflicts. According to him, 17 criminal proceedings have been instituted against 35 residents of Sughd since an amendment to the country’s Penal Code stipulating punishment for Tajik nationals participating in foreign armed conflicts was approved in May last year.
Tajik law enforcement agencies have given differing reports on the numbers of Tajik nationals fighting in Syria and Iraq. The State Committee for the National Security (SCNS) said in November 2014 that there are around 300 Tajik citizens fighting in Syria. However, the Tajik Interior Ministry said that around 200 Tajiks are fighting in Syria and that around 50 had been killed there.
Radio Liberty quoted Edward Lemon of the University of Exeter, who tracks Tajik fighters in Syria, as saying that he has found online evidence of 52 Tajik fighters in Syria.
