A 31-year-old resident of the Kashkadarya region has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for involvement in extremist activities and financing terrorism, according to the State Security Service (SSS) of Uzbekistan.

The man reportedly enrolled in a university in South Korea in 2017. During his studies, around 2020, he became acquainted with materials distributed by terrorist organizations via social media, began communicating with their members, and started spreading their content.

After graduating, he remained in Korea for work. In late 2023, he joined the Telegram group “Guroba Katibasi,” where users were urged to send money to those in need. The defendant admitted that he trusted blogger Saad Mukhtar (a Kyrgyz citizen on the international wanted list) and transferred funds to him. Around that time, he returned to Uzbekistan.

According to the investigation, in July 2024, the man traveled to Turkey intending to join militants in Syria, but his plans failed and he returned home. He was apprehended during a special operation conducted by law enforcement agencies.

The court found him guilty under Articles 244-1 (preparation, storage, distribution, or display of materials threatening public safety and order), 244-2 (establishment, leadership, or participation in religious extremist, separatist, fundamentalist, or other banned organizations), 155-2 (undergoing training, leaving, or moving with the aim of carrying out terrorist activities), and 155-3 (financing terrorism) of the Criminal Code.

In a video released by the SSS, the man, who speaks several languages and has a foreign education and profession, admitted that he was deceived and expressed remorse for his actions. This case serves as a stark warning about the dangers of extremist radicalization among educated youth.

Source: www.gazeta.uz