DUSHANBE, November 27, 2013, Asia-Plus – The Dushanbe city court has upheld the verdict of a court in Dushanbe’s Sino district against Asadullo Ibrohimov, Ibrohimov’s defense lawyer, Mavloudkhon Solehov, told Asia-Plus on November 27.
The lawyer denounced the ruling and vowed to appeal to a higher court.
We will recall that the Sino district court sentenced Asadullo Ibrohimov to seven years in prison on October 24.
The sentence followed his conviction on charges of sexual misconduct and fraud. The court also imposed a 14,600 somoni fine on Asadullo Ibrohimov. He is also barred from being engaged in religious activity during five years after he is released.
The trail of Asadullo Ibrohimov, who is well-known among locals for providing infertility treatments, began on October 18.
Ibrohimov was arrested in September after a video of one of his infertility-treatment sessions appeared on YouTube. The Tajik Interior Ministry identified Ibrohimov as the man in the video and pressed charges against him.
The five-minute clip reportedly appears to show Ibrohimov consulting with a woman before he begins the treatment while reciting the Koran. The male figure embraces the woman, fondles and kisses her, and lifts her dress to expose her belly and breasts as he gyrates behind her.
The video quickly became one of the most-viewed Tajik videos on YouTube, earning Ibrohimov the nickname “Mulloi Judogar” (Magic Mullah).
The purported victim was identified as 26-year-old Zilola Rahimova, a resident of the Roudaki district. A statement posted on the ministry”s website says Ibrohimov took advantage of Rahimova’s vulnerable state of mind to conduct sexual misconduct at his home.
Meanwhile, Asadullo Ibrohimov has insisted on his innocence. According to him, he is guilty about his sins before God, but he is legally in the clear because he did not commit crimes that are punishable by law.
Asadullo Ibrohimov is from the Dushanbe suburb of Luchob. He is reportedly a member of a prominent religious family.
It should be noted that the clip appeared just weeks after a homemade sex tape by another Tajik religious figure found its way to the video-sharing site.
