Uzbek cleric on trial for inciting hate, after backing call for jihad against Israel

A prominent cleric went on trial on Tuesday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on charges of promoting extremism and inciting hatred against Israel, in one of the highest-profile religious cases in the Muslim majority Central Asian nation in years.

Alisher Tursunov, 51, commonly known as Mubashshir Ahmad, was charged with inciting religious hatred, distribution of materials that threaten public order and illegal distribution of materials with religious content, Reuters reported.

He faces up to eight years in prison.

The cleric, who was living in Turkey, was arrested and extradited to Uzbekistan in May.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, local media reported.

In a post on his Telegram channel, Tursunov spoke out in favor of a religious ruling issued by a Qatar-based group the International Union of Muslim Scholars advocating for jihad against Israel over “the bloodshed in Gaza.”

The landlocked former Soviet Republic, which is home to some 38 million people, has had diplomatic relations with Israel since 1992. The countries have strengthened ties through high-level visits and increased tourism, particularly after the introduction of a visa-free regime for Israeli citizens.

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