Irfan Demirtas Gets 88 Months for Funding Uzbek Militants

Irfan Demirtas, 58, a dual Dutch-Turkish citizen, is headed to federal prison for 88 months after admitting he funded the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), a designated foreign terrorist organization. The sentence, handed down in Washington, D.C., marks the end of a years-long pursuit by U.S. authorities who say Demirtas acted as a key facilitator and fundraiser for the militant group across multiple continents.

Demirtas pleaded guilty on September 15, 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, admitting he conspired to provide personnel and funding to the IMU between January 2006 and May 2008. At the time, he was living in the Netherlands but operated across Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Jordan, the Netherlands, and France. He specifically admitted to sending money to the leader of the IMU, knowing full well the group engaged in terrorism.

The IMU, formed in 1991, has long sought to overthrow the government of Uzbekistan and establish an Islamic state under Sharia law. The group has carried out attacks in Uzbekistan and Pakistan and fought against coalition forces in Afghanistan. The U.S. Department of State officially designated it a Foreign Terrorist Organization on September 25, 2001.

Charged in a sealed four-count indictment on December 8, 2011, Demirtas remained at large until January 2015, when he was arrested in Germany following an Interpol red notice issued on U.S. charges. After being detained and extradited, he arrived in the United States on July 17, 2015. The lengthy international effort to bring him to justice underscores the reach of his alleged support network.

The Honorable Randolph D. Moss imposed the 88-month sentence, which includes 62 months of credit for time served in France prior to extradition. As part of his plea agreement, Demirtas will be removed from the United States upon completion of his prison term, a stipulation reflecting the federal government’s intent to deport foreign nationals convicted of terrorism-related offenses.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. DiLorenzo and Ari B. Redbord of the District of Columbia, along with Trial Attorney Brian K. Morgan from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Support was provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, highlighting the complex, multinational nature of modern terrorism prosecutions.