In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin revealed on August 2 that 43 women and one child who are nationals of Tajikistan are being held in prisons in Iraq and 86 Tajik women and 468 Tajik children are being held in camps in Syria.
Bringing them home is one of priorities of the ministry’s activities, Muhriddin said.
According to him, this issue is under constant control of President Emomali Rahmon.
“To date, Tajikistan does not have its diplomatic missions in Syria and Iraq and Tajikistan’s ambassadors to other Arabic countries are working on this issue,” said the minister. “Besides, Tajikistan cooperates on the repatriation issue with international humanitarian organizations.”
Recall, Tajikistan has repatriated 84 minors from Iraq, where their Tajik mothers have been imprisoned under charges of belonging to the Islamic state (IS) terror group or are awaiting trial. A Fly Erbil flight carrying the 84 children and teenagers landed at Dushanbe airport late on April 30. The Tajik government thanked the Kuwaiti and Iraqi foreign ministries as well as the UNICEF office in Baghdad for helping with the repatriation.
