DUSHANBE, December 6, 2012 Asia-Plus — Russia has reportedly extradited Ubaydullo Ghafourov, former bodyguard of Hoji Akbar Turajonzoda, to Tajikistan.
Ubaidullo Ghafourov was member of the former United Tajik Opposition (UTO) and he served as a bodyguard to Hoji Akbar Turajonzoda, one of leaders of the UTO that fought government forces during the 1992-97 Tajik civil war.
After signing of a general peace agreement, Ghafourov was integrated into the Ministry of Security (currently State Committee for National Security (SCNS) in 1998. He had served as bodyguard to Hoji Akbar Turajonzoda until 2001.
After a special operation that was carried out by government forces against the illegal armed formation of Rahmon Sanginov in May 2001, all members of the group of Abdulvosit Latipov (Qori Vosit) left Tajikistan.
Members of this group are suspected of organizing and carrying out 25 terrorist acts in Tajikistan that killed 43 people, including 19 Russian military, Tajik minister of industry and four officers from the police station in the Vahdat Township. Members of this group were reportedly arrested by officers from the Federal Security Service (FSB)’s office in South Ural Region of Russia in 2010.
Relatives of Ubaydullo Ghafourov say he was extradited to Tajikistan in early November and his current whereabouts are unknown.
The Tajik authorities, however, deny this information as unfounded.
