DUSHANBE, February 27, Asia-Plus — Resident of Khorog Olim Sh., who is close to Mamadboqirov, claims that a February 23 incident in Khorog resulted from detention of two innocent people.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus by phone, Sh. said that a couple of days before the incident two residents of the Bar Khorog, residential entity in Khorog, were detained by local police on suspicion of hostage taking. “Electricity supplies to all residential buildings at the Ijoubov Street were cut off because some of residents had not paid for electricity consumption,” said Sh., “It was done at the time, when many our children have fallen ill because of extreme winter weather.”
According to him, two residents of Bar Khorog stopped two representatives from the PamirEnergy Company when they cut off electricity supplies to the Ijoubov Street and demanded that they should resume electricity supplies, threatening that if they do not resume the electricity supplies they would not let them go. “Next day, they were detained by local police and they now face hostage taking charge; they face prison sentence of 12 years if convicted, while they bear no relation to Mamadboqirov,” said Sh. “Mamadboqirov intervened, trying to resolve the problem. There are no real human rights organizations in the region, you know. Therefore, it is impossible to protect rights legally and people have to protect their rights by fist or force.”
Sh. said that he himself had not been there by according to eyewitnesses, Mamadboqirov on February 23 drove up to the Khorog police department alone and demanded that the detained residents of Bar Khorog should be released. “Mamadboqir tried to enter the building to meet with the police chief but the duty officer opened fire and skirmish began. Fortunately, no injured was reported,” said.
On the yesterday’s demonstration in Khorog, he said that had been initiated by local authorities. “They called all enterprises and schools in the city, demanding that women should take part in the demonstration,” said Sh., “The demonstration, which was sanctioned within short time, brought together not more than 50 people.”
“The same day in the evening, supporters of Mamadboqirov handed over a part of their weapons to the Khorog police department,” said Sh., “The remaining firearms are supposed to be handed over today evening.”
