DUSHANBE, December 18, 2009, Asia-Plus - The Prosecutor-General’s Office has instituted criminal proceedings against three alleged terrorists, who have reportedly undergone training in terrorist camps in Pakistan’s Waziristan.

A reliable source at the Prosecutor-General’s Office told Asia-Plus that three residents of the Istaravshan district, Sughd province aged 24 to 34 underwent training in terrorist camps in Pakistan from 2007 to 2008 (their names are not disclosed in the interest of investigation) and on return home, they allegedly organized the cell of the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) in Tajikistan.  “The detainees were recruiting new members and sending them to Waziristan for undergoing terrorist training,” the source said, refraining from giving further details.

The Prosecutor-General’s Office has received necessary materials for constituting criminal proceedings from the Interior Ministry organized crime prevention directorate.  Officers from this directorate have detained the alleged extremists.

Criminal proceedings have been instituted against them under the provisions of Article 307 of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – calls for the forcible overthrow of or change to the constitutional order

The Islamic Jihad Union (IJU), also known as Islamic Jihad Group (IJG), is a terrorist organization, which splintered from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU).  The IJU is seen as the successor for al Qaeda.