Court Sentences Members of Extremist Group "Tavhid va Jihod Katibasi"

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A court in Surkhandarya has delivered a verdict against members of a group influenced by extremist ideology.

During investigative operations, officers of the State Security Service’s regional department disrupted the activities of an illegal network of supporters of the terrorist organization Tavhid va Jihod Katibasi, which has been designated as a terrorist group and banned in Uzbekistan by a ruling of the Supreme Court.

Among those detained were individuals previously convicted for crimes linked to extremist ideology, who in 2021 had been given suspended sentences.

The group, formed in 2024, held religious gatherings disguised as leisure trips to mountainous areas of the region. There, members received ideological guidance from terrorist organizations, discussed the possibility of fighting in Syria, and planned terrorist acts in pursuit of “martyrdom” status.

Through social networks, they maintained contact with recruiters of Tavhid va Jihod Katibasi, studied instructions on making improvised explosive devices and toxic substances, and plotted terrorist activities. A closed Telegram group was used for training and coordination, where participants received theoretical lessons on explosives preparation with support from foreign militants.

Four members, radicalized by online propaganda, had already joined fighters in Syria. Criminal cases have been opened against them, and they are officially wanted.

The court found 20 active participants guilty under Articles 155, 155-2, 155-3, 159, 244-1, and 244-2 of the Criminal Code, sentencing them to prison terms ranging from six to thirteen years.

Other members of the group received lighter sentences in line with principles of leniency and Uzbekistan’s policy of clemency.