Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) —  A court in Qoqand has sentenced 11 individuals found guilty of supporting the international terrorist organization Tawhid wa Jihad Katibah.

According to the press service of Uzbekistan's State Security Service (SSS), the convicts were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 6 to 12 years.

The convicted individuals, aged between 24 and 40, are residents of Qoqand and the Uzbek district in the Fergana region. Among them are a pharmaceutical company manager, the chief mechanic of a gas filling station, private entrepreneurs, catering workers, craftsmen, and taxi drivers.

The group was identified through investigative activities. Between 2021 and 2023, its members held meetings at a teahouse in Qoqand, disguised as Saturday lunch gatherings. During these meetings, lectures promoting jihad and calls for the creation of an Islamic state were delivered, mentioning figures such as Abdulloh Zufar, Sodik Samarkandi, and Yahyo Turkistani. Discussions also included the illegal overthrow of the state system and plans for the establishment of a caliphate, with some participants expressing a desire to travel to Syria.

The investigation revealed that in July and August 2023, two group members transferred $3,000 to a man named Jasur, a native of Qoqand, who is currently involved with the terrorist organization in Syria.

The group also recruited new members and coordinated meetings via Telegram, discussing the time and place of gatherings. Participants regularly reported their activities to the group's leader.

The Qoqand court found the defendants guilty on multiple counts under the Criminal Code, including Articles 155-3 (financing terrorism), 159 (subversion of the constitutional order), 244-1 (distribution of materials threatening public safety), and 244-2 (participation in banned extremist organizations).