A Tajikistan-born scientist and former researcher at the University of Western Australia has been released after serving a 3 1/2-year prison sentence for inciting terrorism.
Abdusalom Odinazoda confirmed in an interview on June 23 with RFE/RL that his sentence concluded on June 19. He was released on June 22.
Australian authorities alleged that Odinazoda had shared numerous videos on his YouTube channel between January 2019 and his arrest at the end of 2020 in which he advocated for the overthrow of the Tajik government and the establishment of a caliphate.
Odinazoda told RFE/RL that authorities investigated 16 of his videos and concluded they contained “terrorist propaganda.”
Court records indicate that Odinazoda extensively discussed the influence of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Islamic State extremist group in Syria. These videos garnered more than 1.6 million views, largely from people located in Russia and Tajikistan.
Odinazoda at the time of his sentencing in August 2022 was considered by the authorities in Western Australia to be one of the state’s most dangerous people.
He was due to stand trial on three charges in 2023, but prosecutors dropped two of the charges after Odinazoda agreed to plead guilty to one count of inciting terrorism.
In the interview with RFE/RL, Odinazoda did not fully accept the accusation that he incited terrorism, but he admitted to having crossed a "red line" at that time.
Odinazoda stated his intention to continue his activities on social networks but expressed a commitment to exercising greater caution.
Prior to his arrest in December 2020, Odinazoda, 56, worked as a biochemist at the University of Western Australia for a decade.
"Given my criminal record, there is no possibility of returning to university employment. Currently, I rely on state aid provided to unemployed individuals," he said.
Odinazoda emigrated to Australia years ago and obtained citizenship. He briefly returned to Tajikistan for work but subsequently returned to Australia. He is also sought in Tajikistan on charges of "extremism."
