A 31-year-old resident of Kashkadarya province has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of participating in extremist activity and financing terrorism, the State Security Service (DXX) said.
According to the agency, the man enrolled at a university in South Korea in 2017. During his studies, around 2020, he came across materials from terrorist organizations circulated on social media, began communicating with members of these groups, and started distributing their materials, the statement said.
After graduating, he remained in South Korea to work. In late 2023, he joined a Telegram group called Murg'ak Qalblar ("Defenseless Hearts"), where members were urged to send money to those in need. The defendant said he transferred funds after being persuaded by a blogger known as Saad Mukhtor, a Kyrgyz national currently wanted internationally. He returned to Uzbekistan around the same time.
In July 2024, investigators say, the man traveled to Turkiye intending to join militants in Syria, but the plan fell through and he returned home.
He was detained during an operation carried out by law enforcement agencies.
The court found him guilty under Articles 244-1 (Production, storage, distribution, or display of materials threatening public safety and order), 244-2 (Creating, leading, or participating in banned religious extremist, separatist, fundamentalist, or other prohibited organizations), 155-2 (Undergoing training or traveling for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activity), and 155-3 (Financing terrorism) of the Criminal Code.
In a video released by the DXX, the man said that despite speaking several languages and holding a foreign degree and profession, he had been deceived and regretted his actions.
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