Supporter of international terrorist organization sentenced in Andijan

A 28-year-old resident of the Andijan region has been sentenced to 8 years and 6 months in prison for supporting an international terrorist organization. The State Security Service of Uzbekistan reported the sentencing.

According to the agency, the individual—born in 1997 and residing in the Andijan district—fell under the influence of propaganda disseminated by the international terrorist organization “Secretary of Monotheism and Jihad” in 2023. He supported and spread the group’s extremist ideologies advocating for “migration,” “jihad,” and “martyrdom.” He promoted religious fanaticism and distributed related content through his social media accounts.

The investigation revealed that the man maintained regular contact with members of international terrorist networks, expressed intent to participate in armed conflict and terrorist acts, and carried out financial transactions in support of the group. Between 2023 and 2024, he transferred a total of \$2,912 via cryptocurrency and 4.19 million soums through bank cards to fund terrorist activities.

In addition, he made two separate trips to Turkey via Kyrgyzstan in an attempt to reach Syria and join the fighting. When these attempts failed, he planned to travel to Afghanistan on the instructions of a member of the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), intending to join the Islamic Jihad Union. However, in November 2024, before reaching Afghanistan, he was arrested while trying to cross the border through Iran.

The Andijan District Criminal Court found the individual guilty under the following articles of the Criminal Code:

•  Part 1 of Article 155-2 (Training, departure, or movement for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activities),
•  Part 2 of Article 155-3 (Financing terrorism),
•  Part 2(a) and Part 3(g) of Article 244-1 (Preparation, storage, distribution, or display of materials threatening public safety and public order),
•  Part 1 of Article 244-2 (Establishment, leadership, or participation in religious extremist, separatist, fundamentalist, or other prohibited organizations).

He was sentenced to 8 years and 6 months in prison.

As previously reported, a secret “community” affiliated with the international terrorist organization “Islamic State of Khorasan Province” was recently uncovered in Namangan city. Law enforcement searched the homes of 16 group members, seizing 37 mobile devices, 51 items of unpublished religious literature, 40 DVDs, four flash drives, as well as a laptop and tablet as physical evidence.