Country Report on Terrorism 2024 - Chapter 1 - Tajikistan

Country Overview:  Tajikistan remained focused on terrorist threats stemming from its southern neighbor, Afghanistan, specifically from ISIS-K and Jamaat Ansarullah.  The Tajik government also acknowledged the threat of Tajik nationals being radicalized abroad.  A rising number of Tajik nationals living abroad were linked to terror attacks and plots for the Islamic State, including attacks in Russia, Afghanistan, Türkiye, and Iran, plus plots in Germany and the United States.  High unemployment, limited economic opportunities, widespread corruption, and continuing government restrictions on religious freedom all contributed to a population susceptible to ISIS propaganda.  NGOs and other observers expressed concerns regarding the broad application of terrorism laws against political opponents and non-violent religious groups.

In 2024, Tajikistan repatriated 47 women and children from Syria.  The Tajik government continues to work with international support to reintegrate these family members into Tajik society.  Tajik efforts to counter terrorist financing are consistent with previous years.  In early November, Tajikistan, with the Government of Kuwait and the United Nations Office of Counterterrorism, hosted a conference on the “Dushanbe Process on countering terrorism and its financing.”  The conference focused on preventing terrorist movement, enhancing collaboration, and building stronger partnerships to support more effective, agile border security and counterterrorism measures.

In November, the Collective Security Treaty Organization Collective Security Council approved a program to strengthen the Tajik-Afghan border.  The program includes specific measures to ensure the security of the southern part of the organization’s area of responsibility, such as the supply of weapons and military equipment along the border.

2024 Terrorism Trends:  There were three terrorist attacks and two disrupted terrorism plots.  On January 5, a car bomb injured the local chief of the ruling People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan outside his home in the city of Kulob.  Nine suspects, including one woman, were arrested.  ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the attack.  On September 11, the Grand Mufti of Tajikistan was attacked by a man with a knife in Dushanbe’s central mosque.  The attacker was charged with attempted murder and terrorism and was sentenced to 26 years in prison.  Two additional individuals were also charged for their involvement in the attack.  Authorities arrested 30 individuals associated with ISIS-K in March for their role in plotting to poison food at public gatherings during Nowruz celebrations.