A Tajik woman was detained in Abkhazia on charges of “Salafism”

Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Abkhazia detained a 55-year-old citizen of Tajikistan, who had been on the international wanted list since 2021.

Officers of the criminal investigation department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Abkhazia detained a citizen of the Republic of Tajikistan, Sobirova Gulkhumor Toirovna, born in 1971, in Sukhum.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Abkhazia, she was placed on the international wanted list in 2021 for organizing the activities of the extremist organization “Salafiya,” which is banned in Tajikistan.

On February 2, 2026, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Abkhazia handed over the citizen of Tajikistan, Sobirova, to representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Her further fate will be decided by a court in Russia.

The detainee herself is unavailable for comments, and it is unknown whether she has admitted her guilt. Neither her lawyer nor her relatives have communicated with journalists.

Earlier, the French investigative project Disclose revealed in its article that as of September 2024, Tajikistan had issued 3,493 “red notices” to its citizens through the International Criminal Police Organization Interpol. In this regard, Tajikistan surpasses the USA, France, and even China, which has a population of nearly one and a half billion. This investigation, based on an analysis of internal Interpol data, shows that under the pretext of combating terrorism, Tajik authorities have used Interpol mechanisms to pursue political opposition in exile, as well as practicing Muslims who had no ties to armed groups.

Experts note that Tajik authorities often accuse citizens of serious crimes, including extremism and participation in banned organizations without clear grounds, sometimes based only on minor signs, and declare them wanted internationally.