39 residents of Sughd wanted for joining radical Islamist groups return home

39 residents of Sughd wanted for joining radical Islamist groups have returned home, Qudratullo Nazarzoda, the regional police chief of the northern province of Sughd, told reporters in Khujand on February 12. 

According to him, criminal proceedings instituted against them have been dropped.

“Since the beginning of this year, we helped 19 people wanted for joining radical Islamist groups to return home,” chief police officer of Sughd province said.

Meanwhile, Sughd governor Rajabboy Ahmadzoda told reporters yesterday that 587 people from Sughd suspected of joining extremist groups are currently in other countries.

“Many of them have left the country in recent years and we have taken measures to return them home,” the governor said. 

It is to be noted that returnees who joined radical Islamist groups were pardoned in line with a 2015 government pledge.

Tajikistan amended its criminal laws in 2015 to allow authorities to pardon citizens who voluntarily return home and express regret that they joined militant groups abroad.

Dozens have been pardoned under the amnesty, which authorities say only applies to those who have not taken part in violence.

Meanwhile, the Sughd chief police officer told reporters on February 2 last year that 34 residents of Sughd province who had returned to Tajikistan after joining the Islamic State (IS) terror group in the Middle East have gone back to Iraq and Syria to rejoin IS.

According to Tajik officials, some 1,900 Tajik citizens have fought alongside IS militants in Syria and Iraq in recent years.  Most travelled through Russia, where about a million Tajiks are believed to work.