In Russia, two Tajik citizens were put on trial for attempting to import hazorispand (harmala) into the country. One of them was sentenced by the court to 8 years in prison, according to the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Tajikistan.
The agency said in a statement that the women tried to import this plant "for personal and medical purposes," but were detained at Russian airports and prosecuted.
One of the women was charged with possession, transportation, production and processing of narcotic drugs without the purpose of sale (part 2 of Article 228 of the Criminal Code), as well as illegal movement of plants containing narcotic substances across the customs border of Russia (part 3 of Article 229.1 of the Criminal Code).
"After the investigation was completed, the criminal case was sent to the court, which sentenced the defendant to 8 years in prison," the Prosecutor General's Office informs.
The fate of the second detained woman is not reported.
The Prosecutor General's Office warns Tajik citizens against transporting hazorispand to Russia and using it on the territory of this country.
The department noted that for the transportation and storage of "more than 10 units of hazorispand," the violator faces a fine of 1 million rubles or imprisonment up to life imprisonment.
In February 2024, in Russia, harmala was included in the list of narcotic plants, for illegal trafficking, storage and consumption of which high fines or imprisonment are provided.
Earlier, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan also warned citizens about the inadmissibility of transporting and using hazorispand in Russia.
The representative office of the Ministry of Labor and Migration of Tajikistan in Russia has published a list of 10 plants, the import of which is prohibited in the Russian Federation, and urged citizens to refrain from transporting them.
