Saidjafar Usmonzoda, a member of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) was detained on June 14 for allegedly “plotting to overthrow the government.”
Prosecutor-General Yusuf Rahmon accused Usmonzoda of collaborating with the foreign-based opposition group National Alliance of Tajikistan and of speaking with its leader, the self-exiled Sharofiddin Gadoyev.
On June 14, Majlisi Namoyandagon members agreed to the prosecutor general's proposal to strip Saidjaffar Usmonzoda, a member of parliament also former head of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan (DPT), of his immunity.
The politician was arrested on suspicion of attempting a “forcible seizure of power.” This unprecedented event has raised numerous questions about who Usmonzoda is, how he entered politics, and the reasons behind his arrest. Asia-Plus has reviewed his political career and consulted experts to provide some answers.
Allegations against Saidjaffar Usmonzoda
Addressing lawmakers on June 14, the Prosecutor-General Yusuf Rahmon reportedly said criminal proceedings have been instituted against Saidjafar Usmonzoda under the provisions of Article 306, Part 2, Paragraph (v) of Tajikistan ‘s Penal Code — violent seizure of power or violent retention of power with the use of official position; an investigation is under way.
Article 306 stipulates that violent seizure of power or violent retention of power is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 15 to 25 years or life imprisonment.
"With respect, I inform you that the Prosecutor-General’s Office is investigating a criminal case of member of the Majlisi Namoyandagon Saidjafar Usmonzoda and others under Article 306, Part 2, Paragraph (v) of the Penal Code Criminal Code of the Republic of Tajikistan, which covers the crime of violent seizure of power,” said Yusuf Rahmon.
According to the Tajik chief prosecutor, the investigation established that Saidjafar Usmonzoda had mobile phone talks with Sharofiddin Gadoyev, the deputy head of “the extremist-terrorist organization” Paimonii Millii Tojikiston (The National Alliance of Tajikistan) in September 2021, discussing the violent seizure of power in Tajikistan.
"Sharofiddin Gadoyev promised that to achieve this goal Muhiddin Kabiri, the leader of the extremist-terrorist organization Islamic Renaissance Party, will provide financial assistance and facilitate the transfer of more than 3,000 militants of the Jamaati Ansarullah terrorist organization from abroad to Tajikistan," the Prosecutor-General said.
"Usmonzoda requested US$10 million from a representative of a foreign state to attract influential figures and organize rallies," Rahmon noted. He did not specify which country’s representative was involved.
Additionally, Usmonzoda, according to the Tajik chief prosecutor, enlisted supporters from various segments of society both inside and outside the country, “forming groups and assigning them specific tasks to execute his criminal plan.”
Yusuf Rahmon said criminal proceedings were instituted against Saidjafar Usmonzoda and others on June 12 and he was taken into custody.
Disputes within the DPT and Usmonzoda's Removal as Party Leader
A former chairman of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan, Usmonzoda was expelled from the party at the DPT’s extraordinary congress on May 11 for his perceived “unsatisfactory” performance as a party member. Shahboz Abror, a relatively unknown figure in Tajik political circles, who had led the party extraordinary congress that resulted in Usmonzoda’s expulsion, was recognized by the Ministry of Justice on May 31 as the party’s new chairman.
However, Usmonzoda maintained that he was the legitimate leader of the party and wrote to the Minister of Justice, providing evidence that the congress and the election of the new leader were illegal and requesting the decision be annulled. Shortly thereafter, Usmonzoda was arrested.
Reasons behind the new conflict in the DPT
There are varying opinions regarding the new conflict within the DPT. The new party chairman cited Usmonzoda's inactivity as the reason for his expulsion.
Experts suggest that one of the reasons for Usmonzoda's displacement was the desire of party members to field a younger competitor in the upcoming presidential elections.
Who is Saidjaffar Usmonzoda?
Saidjaffar Usmonzoda, 63, was born in the Farkhor district of Khatlon province. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Tajik National University in 1962 and from the Tajik Tax and Legal Institute with a degree in jurisprudence in 2005. Usmonzoda has scientific degree of Candidate of Sciences in Economics.
He had worked in various tax and customs agencies, the National Bank, and the Committee for TV and Radio-broadcasting. From September 2002 to February 2004, he headed the tax police in the city of Tursunzodae, and from February 2024 to January 2005, Usmonzoda served as Vice Rector of Tajik Agricultural University.
Between 2005 and 2012, he reportedly engaged in entrepreneurship and entered politics. In 2005, media reported that Usmonzoda intended to create the Progressive Youth Party of Tajikistan, although the project did not materialize.
A member of the Majlisi Namoyandagon since 2015, Saidjafar Usmonzoda was one of handful of lawmakers accessible to the media.
In 2015, he was elected to the Majlisi Namoyandagon in the Farkhor single-member constituency, and in 2020, he was elected to the Majlisi Namoyandagon by party list.
