Uzbekistan citizen repatriated after joining armed group in Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The State Security Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan reported that a 24-year-old man from the Jizzakh region, who had traveled to Syria and joined a terrorist group in June of 2023, has now been repatriated to Uzbekistan.
The young man said that he had been listening to online audio and video lectures by preachers Abdulloh Zufar and Sodiq Samarkandi before eventually coming into contact with a member of the Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (KTJ) armed group in Syria.
The young man traveled to Turkey in June 2023, from there to Syria’s northwestern region of Idlib.
After arriving in Syria from Turkey, the Uzbek citizen underwent ideological and military training with members of the Katiba Tawhid Wal Jihad group. Subsequently, he severely injured during military operations conducted by the Syrian army. After recovering from his injuries, he became involved in economic activities within the group.
According to the state report, he was apprehended while crossing from Syria to a neighboring country for medical treatment and subsequently returned to Uzbekistan in December 2023.
A criminal case has been initiated against him under Articles 155-2 (Training, leaving the country, or traveling with the intention of carrying out terrorist activities) and 244-2 (Creation, leadership, participation in religious extremist, separatist, fundamentalist, or other prohibited organizations) of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan. He is currently in custody.