DUSHANBE, June 14, 2016, Asia-Plus – Amnesty International released a statement on June 13, in which it notes that Tajik lawyer Buzurgmehr Yorov, who represented members of the banned Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), remains at risk of unfair trial.
“The trial of Buzurgmehr Yorov, a lawyer representing members of the banned Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), began in May. The trial is closed to the public and Buzurgmehr Yorov remains at risk of unfair trial.
“Buzurgmehr Yorov is charged with fraud and forgery and also with “extremism” and faces a long prison sentence if he is convicted. Representatives of the media and international monitors were allowed access to the court room at the first hearing on May 10, which was adjourned. The trial has been closed to the public since.
“Buzurgmehr Yorov has been in pre-trial detention since his arrest on September 28, 2015 by officers of the Tajikistani Police Unit for Combating Organized Crime. His arrest followed the detention of 14 high-ranking members of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan on September 16-17, 2015, some of whom he was legally representing. The IRPT was arbitrarily banned in September 2015.
“Buzurgmehr Yorov was arrested on charges of fraud and forgery. These original charges were not related to the IRPT or its activities, but during his arrest police seized documents relating to the IRPT cases he was working on, violating the lawyer-client privilege.
“In December 2015, additional charges of “extremism” were made against Buzurgmehr Yorov but to date no information about those charges has been provided. Amnesty International believes that these charges are politically motivated.”
