Deported Yazgulam residents “disappeared” at Kulob airport

Parents of five residents of the Yazgulom jamoat in the GBAO region reported that their sons, who were sent from Russia to Tajikistan on June 19, mysteriously “disappeared” at Kulob airport.

Last week, Moscow police detained five residents of Yazgulom at a Tajik café “Lazzat” near the Shchyolkovskaya metro station. The detainees informed their relatives that they would be sent to Tajikistan on the Moscow-Kulob flight on the evening of June 19, and they would land at Kulob airport on the morning of June 20.

It is unclear whether they were deported from Russia for violating immigration laws, or if Russian security forces detained and extradited them at the request of Tajikistan. “They managed to inform their parents in Yazgulom from Moscow to come to Kulob airport. The plane landed on the morning of June 20, but they were not among the arriving passengers. So far, no one has explained to us where they are,” said one of the relatives of the detainees.

Their relatives reported in a conversation with Radio Ozodi on June 23 that before the flight, a person, presumably representing the Tajik authorities and accompanying the detainees, promised them that they would have the opportunity to see their sons in Kulob. According to them, they traveled about 300 kilometers, but did not see their sons at Kulob airport.

The authorities have not officially confirmed or denied the detention and expulsion of the five residents of Yazgulom from Russia. In the past month, according to information available to Radio Ozodi, about 15 residents of Vanj have been extradited from Russia to Tajikistan. Sources from Radio Ozodi reported that they were detained for interacting with a group of residents from Vanj who are accused of “extremism.”

It should be noted that an operation to detain more than 30 residents of Yazgulom was carried out in the second half of May by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan. The law enforcement agency has not made any official statements regarding this matter.

Two informed sources reported that most of the detainees are residents of the villages of Jamak and Andarbak in the Yazgulom jamoat and are related to each other. One of the sources of Radio Ozodi, familiar with the case materials, stated that 25 detainees are accused of membership in the banned organization “Ansarulloh” and “were preparing to carry out a terrorist act in Tajikistan.” Relatives of the detainees deny the accusations of terrorism against their relatives but refrain from providing details.