Seven Daesh Members Sentenced to Jail for Terrorism in Tajikistan

DUSHANBE (Sputnik) — Seven residents of Tajikistan's Shahrtuz District have been sentenced to jail on charges of involvement with the Islamic State (ISIL, or Daesh in the Arab world) terrorist organization, a spokesperson for the Khatlon Region's regional court said.

"All of them have been charged with belonging to a criminal group, calling for a violent overthrow of the existing constitutional system in Tajikistan, recruiting citizens to take part in armed conflicts abroad, and displaying the Islamic State's black flag in the center of the Shahrtuz District in August this year," the spokesperson told RIA Novosti.

The Daesh cell members were planning an attack on the district's internal affairs ministry department, the spokesperson added.

The seven individuals received sentences of between seven and 27 years. Three underage extremists were handed shorter sentences. Another 15-year-old suspect is on the wanted list. The group joined Daesh, outlawed in Russia, via the Internet.

Over 700 Tajik citizens are fighting among Daesh ranks in Syria and Iraq, according to Tajikistan's security services.