Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, known locally as Radio Ozodi, reported on July 21 that the relatives of Bobojon Qaraboyev, a Tajik man who was arrested in Germany on suspicion of being a member of the Islamic State (IS) terror group, say they have lost contact with him for almost a month.

Qaraboyev, 38, is resident of Vahdat Township.  He was arrested in Bavaria on June 27.  The Munich Prosecutor's Office reportedly said it is currently examining his case in relation to his alleged affiliation with the IS terror group.

Firdavs, a relative of Qaraboyev, said his family has not been able to establish contact with him since June 26.

Qaraboyev reportedly asked for asylum in Germany two years ago, after arriving there via Ukraine.  His asylum request was reportedly rejected by German authorities last year.

Radio Ozodi in March 2016 had an interview with him as with a man who had fought alongside IS militants in Syria for eight months, and who realized his mistake, regret his action, and returned home, where he was granted amnesty.  Qaraboyev told Radio Ozodi at the time that he went to Syria from Russia in 2015 and fought alongside IS militants for eight months.  According to him, he then realized his mistake and left the ranks of IS group and returned to Tajikistan.  

Recall, citing German prosecutors, Radio Ozodi reported July 6 that seven have been detained in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia on suspicion of forming an Islamist terrorist cell.  They are also alleged to have supported the IS terror group.

According to Radio Ozodi, five of them are Tajikistanis who were identified as Muhammadshujo A., Nouriddin K., Shamshod N., Said S., and Rabboni Z.  Two others are Turkmen citizen Ata A. and Kyrgyz citizen Abrorjon K.

Prosecutors said the men entered the country together shortly after the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 with the aim of "carrying out high-profile Islamic State-style terror attacks in Germany."

Dutch authorities on July 6 arrested two additional suspects connected to the group, a 29-year-old man from Tajikistan and his 31-year-old Kyrgyz wife, who had resided in the Netherlands since 2022.  They reportedly also arrived in the Netherlands from Ukraine in the spring of 2022.     

AFP, citing a statement by the German federal prosecutor's office (GBA), reported yesterday that German police on July 6 arrested seven men for allegedly planning a terrorist attack in the country inspired by the Islamic State (IS) group.  The men from Central Asia had reportedly known each other for some time and share a radical Islamic ideology.

The seven, along with another suspect arrested in the Netherlands, formed a cell in June 2022 "with the objective to commit headline-grabbing terrorist attacks in the spirit of IS," GBA was cited as saying.

According to AFP, the men included five citizens of Turkmenistan, one from Tajikistan and another from Kyrgyzstan.  

With the exception of the Kyrgyz suspect, prosecutors accused the men of "collecting funds for IS since April 2022" to be sent to the organization abroad.

Citing a statement by Dutch prosecutors, Reuters reported July 6 that the man detained in the Netherlands is suspected of being an Islamic State member and receiving the order to plot an attack, although plans were not yet concrete.

The Netherlands Public Prosecution Service said on July 6 the Dutch police tracked the suspects down after information was released by the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD).  The police investigation has led to the suspicion that the man is a member of IS and that he was given the order to plot a terrorist attack.  Although the plans were not yet concrete, they were serious enough for the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service to intervene.

During the investigation, the Dutch law enforcement agencies reportedly cooperated with their German counterparts, because the suspect was in contact with several persons residing in Germany.  

The two Dutch suspects were brought before the investigative judge in Rotterdam on July 7.