Three individuals have been sentenced to varying prison terms for the knife attack on Saidmukarram Abdulqodirzoda, the head of Tajikistan’s Council of Ulema.  Among them is the young man who carried out the attack—he has been sentenced to 26 years in prison.

Mufti speaks about the attack and the attacker

On February 7, during his Friday sermon, Abdulqodirzoda mentioned the 26-year prison sentence for the attacker but later refused to provide further details in an interview with Asia-Plus.

In his sermon, he described the attacker as someone who had been "misled and deceived", not fully understanding the gravity of his actions:

"He came and performed namaz. After the prayer, I wished well-being to all the worshippers, including him. But as I left the mosque, he attacked me. It was terrifying. I said: may Allah guide him."

Abdulqodirzoda also expressed sympathy for the attacker’s mother, saying: “I feel sorry for his mother. Believe me, in the past two days, I have thought of her many times and even cried, knowing how much she is suffering. He was misled, but what is her fault? He didn’t consult her, yet now she is the one suffering.”

Court remains silent on details

The Supreme Court of Tajikistan confirmed that a verdict had been issued but refused to disclose details, citing the fact that the ruling has not yet taken legal effect.

Two sources told Asia-Plus that three individuals were convicted in connection with the attack, with the main suspect receiving a 26-year sentence.  However, they declined to reveal the sentences of the other two defendants.

Little information is available about the attacker's background.  What is known is that he is 24 years old and was a university student; his father is a schoolteacher, and his mother is a school janitor.

During a previous press conference, Abdulqodirzoda stated that the young man who attacked him had been charged with extremism. He briefly mentioned that the crime was committed by a "member of an extremist group", but he did not specify the exact charges.

The attack outside the mosque

The knife attack took place on September 11, 2024, near the Central Mosque of Dushanbe.  Abdulqodirzoda reportedly sustained a stab wound to the forehead.

At the time, the Interior Ministry’s press office said Abdulqodirzoda, the state-selected head of Tajikistan’s Muslims, was injured but is in stable condition.  The press office said the attacker injured the mufti “with a cutting tool out of a sense of hooliganism.”  The name and surname of the attacker were not disclosed, nor was the specific article under which criminal proceedings were instituted.

More than a month later, on October 17, Saidmukarram Abdulqodirzoda commented on the incident, stating that “this young man was one of the extremists.”

“This group is a kind of association of uneducated young people with a narrow worldview.  They claim to serve Islam.  But if you look at the roots of these radical groups, they are not Muslims.  They are recruited through the internet and social media.  Those who recruited, directed, and incited them, or were waiting for them, have actually never met them in person,” the mufti added.

To date, the country’s Interior Ministry has not provided any additional details about the investigation or trial related to the attack.

Abdulqodirzoda is 61 years old and has been the chairman of the Council of Ulema, the only fatwa-issuing body in Tajikistan, since 2010.