DUSHANBE, March 13, 2015, Asia-Plus – Tajik opposition organization Group 24 has elected its new leadership after its founding leader Umarali Quvvatov was killed in Istanbul, Turkey last week.
A statement released by the Group 24 Political Council on March 12 says Sharofiddin Gadoyev was elected new leader of Group 24.
The 29-year-old Sharofiddin Gadoyev is cousin and business associate of Umarali Quvvatov. He has been living in Spain since 2013.
The Group 24 Political Council that held its meeting on March 12 also elected the 27-year-old Tajik businessman, Sobir Valiyev, deputy leader of Group 24.
Sharofiddin Gadoyev was born in the Farkhor district of the Khatlon province on May 19, 1985. He is national of Tajikistan. Gadoyev graduated from the Faculty of Law, Tajik National University. From 2003 through 2012 he was reportedly engaged in business.
Gadoyev told Asia-Plus on March 11 that there were many candidates for the post of leader of the group, “because the Group 24 Political Council alone has 60 members.”
According to him, Group 24 will review the procedure of admitting new members into the organization “because the group members consider that Sulaymon Qayumov is guilty of Quvvatov’s death.”
Group 24 reportedly actively uses internet-radio Zello for dissemination of its ideas. Gadoyev says they have more than 40,000 listeners and 30,000 of them actively support Group 24.
The founding leader of Group 24, Umarali Quvvatov, 47, once had close ties with President Emomali Rahmon’s relatives but became an opponent. He was wanted by Dushanbe on fraud charges that he said were politically motivated.
Quvvatov left Tajikistan in 2012 and stayed in Russia and the United Arab Emirates before moving to Turkey. After leaving Tajikistan, he accused Emomali Rahmon of corruption and nepotism.
On December 19, 2014, Umarali Quvvatov was arrested in Istanbul for visa violations, but he was released on February 3, 2015.
Umarali Quvvatov was shot dead by unidentified assailant in Istanbul, Turkey on March 5.
Tajikistan”s Supreme Court banned Group 24 on October 9, 2014 following growing government pressure on the opposition group after it used the Internet to call for street protests in the capital, Dushanbe, on October 10.
Supreme Court judge Salomat Hakimova ruled that Group 24 is an extremist organization, and therefore is banned in Tajikistan. Its website and printed materials were also banned.
