Tajik national who had been fighting alongside Taliban militants in northern Tajikistan has got a lengthy jail term.

A court in Dushanbe’s Ismoili Somoni district sentenced Begijon Nazarov, 28, to 16 years in prison on October 22.  The sentence followed his conviction on charges of participation in a criminal group and illegal participation in a foreign armed conflict.

Firouz Sultonzod, a spokesman for the Ismoili Somoni district court, says Nazarov five years ago left Tajikistan for Russia seeking better employment opportunities.

“In Russia, he met Anvar Khudoyorov who proposed him to travel to Afghanistan to join Taliban militants,” said Sultonzod.  “In 2011, Nazarov and Khudoyorov left the Russian city of Kazan for Afghanistan, where they joined Taliban militants fighting in Afghan Badakhshan province.”

Nazarov was reportedly detained by Afghan government forces and handed over to the Tajik authorities.

As far as Anvar Khudoyorov is concerned, Sultonzod says he was wounded in 2014 and left Afghanistan for Pakistan for medical treatment.  “According to some sources, Khudoyorov is currently fighting alongside militants of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in Syria,” Sultonzod added.