Tajik authorities are using a media campaign, as well as the threat of prosecution, to deter citizens from going to Syria to join Da’ish terrorists.
In 2014, Tajikistan made fighting abroad a criminal offense. The government reports that about 300 Tajik nationals have joined Da’ish. Officials have emphasized they will offer amnesty to anyone returning to Tajikistan voluntarily, as long as no crime has been committed.
“We have issued instructions that [just] making a trip to such countries should not result in a criminal case against the individual concerned. A criminal case can be launched only if we have enough information and evidence to show that the individual was a member of an armed group in a foreign country,” said Sharif Qurbonzoda, chief prosecutor for the northern Sughd province.
Authorities stress that they will prosecute if evidence points to a crime. For instance, in November 2014, almost 30 people from Istaravshan and Kanibadam districts were arrested for suspected involvement with a group known for recruiting foreign fighters for Da’ish.
Part of the government’s strategy to fight foreign-fighter recruitment includes a media campaign. Relatives of extremist fighters and youth groups make videos to speak to the public about the dangers.
Local media say recruiters use a variety of tactics to gain more fighters. “I think they initially are offered a lot of money, and then their passports are taken away and burnt,” said Rustam Davlatshoev, a Khatlon region lawyer. “They’re left with no choice but to obey the orders of these radical groups, under threat of execution.”
Obidjon Ahmedov, an official in Isfara district, said recruiters exploit people’s understanding of the fighting in Syria to persuade them to take part in the conflict. “These groups use the fact that people are not well-informed. Sending people to Syria has become a kind of business for them,” he said.