Tajiks detained in Afghanistan on charges of membership in ISIS

The YouTube channel “Al Mirsaad Isdarat,” affiliated with the Taliban movement in Afghanistan, published a video in which several citizens of Tajikistan confess to being members of the Islamic State (IS) and express remorse for their actions. The video lists the names and places of residence of all the Tajik nationals.

The video notes that a large portion of IS members are Tajik youth. They are responsible for most of the bombings and suicide attacks in Afghanistan.

It is not precisely known when these citizens of Tajikistan were detained in Afghanistan. They stated that they were contacted by a person named “Abu Muhammad” who deceived them by promising a life according to Sharia law in Afghanistan, but when they arrived, none of this materialized.

According to them, IS recruiters on social media, including Telegram, deceive Tajik youth in Tajikistan, who are prohibited from attending mosques, growing beards, and acquiring Islamic knowledge, promising them that in Afghanistan they will be free to study Islamic sciences and live according to Sharia law. However, upon arriving in Afghanistan, they are held captive for a time, and then trained as suicide bombers, promised a place in paradise.

Regarding the financing of IS, these young people say that the group earns income from kidnapping people and demanding large sums as ransom. They also stated that they earn income from “Bitcoins.”

The video highlights that the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, who always supports anti-Taliban groups, through his actions, including restricting religious freedoms and pressuring religious individuals in Tajikistan, has contributed to the destabilization of the situation in the region, as most Tajik youth have joined radical groups due to the numerous pressures from his government.

Tajik youth in the video say that due to the authorities’ oppression on religious grounds and the ban on acquiring Islamic knowledge, they were deceived by the radical and extremist ideas of IS, believing that this was the only true ideology.

The video presents the names and surnames of Tajik young people detained on charges of membership in IS:

Valid Mukhamadov, a native of Dushanbe (known in IS by the nickname “Saifullah”);

Fariduni Abdurakhim, a native of the Dusti district of Khatlon region (known in IS by the nickname “Salim”);

Yakub Mukhamadi, a native of Dushanbe;

Musalmoni Sulaymon, a native of the Faizobod district (known in IS by the nicknames: “Abu Ahmad,” “Abdullah”);

Jomii Abdusatyor, a native of Dushanbe;

Nasimjoni Mukhamadjon, a native of the Firdavsi district of Dushanbe (known in IS by the nickname “Khanzala”);

Nuridin Mirzo, a native of the village of Pashadara in Kulob (known in IS by the nickname “Saifullah”).