DUSHANBE, April 24, Asia-Plus – A trial of eleven members of the terrorist group, including two Uzbek nationals, charged with being involved in a series of terrorist acts and other grave crimes committed in the territory of Tajikistan in 2005, was finished at Tajikistan’s Supreme Court yesterday.
Two of them were sentenced to life imprisonment and other nine members of this group got lengthy jail terms, ranging from 7 to 28 years. .
Judge Nour Nourov, who took in the trial, said in an interview with Asia-Plus that practically of them were members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and faced charges of killings, illegal possession of weapons, terrorism, organization of illegal armed formation or criminal grouping, robberies and other crimes.
According to him, two members of the group, Uzbek national Bakhtiyor Amanboyev and Tajik citizen Mirhusein Shosainov, were sentenced to life imprisonment, while other members, including Zafar Rahmatov, Nematullo Hasanov, Jumabek Jonakov, Tuichi Sharipov, Junaydullo Roziyev, Abdusamad Qduratov, Mukhtor Jalolov and Zikriyo Mansourov, got lengthy jail terms, ranging from seven to 28 years.
The judge added that the preliminary investigation had established that another Uzbek citizen standing the trial – Nourullo Samiyev – is the head of the IMU cell for Dushanbe and the nearby districts. “He was actively recruiting Tajik nationals to join the IMU and disseminating reactionary ideas among the population,” said Nourov, “The court ruled that Samiyev be given 25 years in jail.”
“The investigation has also established that this terrorist group was involved in killing of Asadullo Mazoriyev, an investigator for Tajikistan”s Interior Ministry, and Sherali Saidov, an official with the Customs Service, who were found shot dead in Dushanbe on April 1 2005, as well killing of officer from the Defense Ministry Sharipov and two blasts outside the building of Ministry of Emergency Situations on January 31 and June 13 2005,” Nourov said. “Besides, members of this terrorist group attempted to explode a multi-apartment residential building in Dushanbe’s Giprozem area in 2005,” said the judge, “Fortunately, detonator did not work.”
The judge also noted that one of the defendants, Zikriyo Mansourov, is member of the Islamic Revival Party (IRPT) organization for the Shahrinav district. “A large arms cache was found in the basement of his house,” said Nourov, “Mansourov got seven years in jail.”
According to the judge, only Bakhtiyor Amanboyev fully admitted charges he faces.
We will recall that a regional court in the Sughd province on April 20 sentenced three Uzbek citizens to long jail terms. The sentenced followed their conviction on charges of membership in the IMU, terrorism, illegally bearing, possessing, and acquiring, creation of criminal grouping, illegally crossing the border, calling for the overthrow of the constitutional system to create an Islamic caliphate in Tajikistan, and inciting religious and racial enmity.
Nozirjon Haidaorv and Abdurahmon Qodirov were sentenced to 19 years in prison each and Ghayrat Eshqulov received an 18-year sentence. They were detained in the Sughd province in July 2006.
