[JURIST] The Supreme Court of Tajikistan Friday sentenced two former Guantanamo Bay detainees to 17 years in prison each for serving as mercenaries in Afghanistan. Mukit Vokhidov and Rukhiddin Sharopov crossed to Afghanistan in 2001 as members of the al Qaeda-linked Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan [CNS backgrounder]; they were captured by US forces operating in the north of the country in November that year and later sent to the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay.

Vokhidov and Sharopov were released by US authorities and returned to Tajikistan in March 2005. The Tajik court also convicted them of illegal border crossing. The Tajik goverment says that some 20 Tajiks are being held at Guantanamo. AP has more. Interfax has additional coverage.