An activist of Sodiqlar extremist group has been jailed in the Tajik northern Sughd province.

A court in Sughd province sentenced a 31-year-old resident of the village of Isficor in the Bobojonghafourov district, Suleymam Fayziyev, to four years in prison last week.

The sentence reportedly followed Fayziyev’s conviction of charges of organizing an extremist group. 

A source at the Sughd law enforcement authorities says Fayziyev was an active member of Sodiqlar group.  He reportedly joined it in 2012.  Subversive literature and CDs were found in Fayziyev’s house, the source added.  

Recall, Sodiqlar group first came to light in August 2016 when its two members were detained in Sughd province.

Two residents of Sughd’s Bobojonghafourov district – a 36-year-old I.Sh. and a 30-year-old A.A. – were arrested by officers of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS)’s office in Sughd for Sughd province on suspicion of being members of Sodiqlar extremist group.  They reportedly joined that extremist organization in 2014.

Criminal proceedings were instituted against them under the provisions of Article 307’ (3) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – organizing activity of an extremist group, participation in activity of the banned political, public or religious organizations; an investigation is under way.     

“Sodiqlar” is the Uzbek plural form of the Arabic word “sadiq” that means “honest”, “truehearted”, “sincere”, “faithful”, “devoted”.

A source at one of Tajik law enforcement authorities says this organization is an affiliate of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU).

The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) is a militant Islamist group formed in 1998 by the Islamic ideologue Tahir Yuldashev, and former Soviet paratrooper Juma Namangani—both ethnic Uzbeks from the Fergana Valley.  Its original objective was to overthrow President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan, and to create an Islamic state under Sharia; however, in subsequent years, it reinvented itself as an ally of al-Qaeda and the Taliban.