Iraq Jails 9 Tajik Women For IS Involvement - Official

DUSHANBE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st September, 2018) A court in Iraq has sentenced nine Tajik women to 20 years in prison for their involvement in a radical Islamic group, an official at Tajikistan's State Committee for National Security told Sputnik on Thursday.

"These women were convicted by an Iraq court of being members of the banned Islamic State terror organization [outlawed in Russia] and cohabiting with IS militants," the official with the Tajik security and intelligence agency said.

Many of the jailed women have underage children, who are living in a Baghdad orphanage, the official said. He added the kids will be brought to Tajikistan if their mothers consent.

Four of the convicted women are known to Tajik authorities and are wanted at home for being "mercenaries." According to the official, they left for Iraq with their husbands in 2015 and 2016 and joined the IS.