Tajikistan Sentences Over 30 for Attempted Festival Poisoning

A Tajik court sentenced over 30 people to prison for trying to poison attendees of a festival. Linked to ISIS-K, the group aimed to contaminate food at a Nowruz event in Vahdat. More suspects are wanted. Tajikistan deals with militancy issues amid regional tensions.

In a significant ruling, Tajikistan's court has issued prison sentences ranging from eight to 20 years to more than 30 individuals found guilty of planning to poison festival-goers, the prosecutor general's office revealed on Friday.

Linking the convicted individuals to the Afghan offshoot of Islamic State, known as Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), authorities disclosed that the group sought to poison food at a Nowruz festival in Vahdat. The incident follows a line of IS activities, including a deadly concert hall shooting in Moscow last year.

Despite the recent convictions, the head of the department for combating terrorism and extremism, Jumanazar Sayidakhmadzoda, noted ten more individuals remain at large. Tajikistan, a country grappling with militant threats, has witnessed several attacks, although some have been successfully thwarted.