All individuals convicted in the high-profile "coup attempt" case, who were sentenced on February 5 to long prison terms, have filed appeals against the verdict of the Supreme Court of Tajikistan in the cassation process. This was reported to Asia-Plus by the Supreme Court itself.
They stated that the lawyers of the convicted political figures filed the cassation appeal after the announcement of the verdict.
"Three days after the verdict was announced, the first cassation appeal was submitted, and then other defendants also appealed their sentences. All those involved in the case submitted their cassation appeals within the deadline — by February 17," a source within the Supreme Court to Asia-Plus in an interview.
Nine people were convicted in this notorious case, including a former parliament deputy, two representatives of political parties, three former government officials, two retired security service officers, and a young journalist.
Lawyers and relatives of at least three of the convicted individuals also confirmed to Asia-Plus that they filed appeals with the Supreme Court. In particular, the relatives of Ahmadshoh Komilzoda, the former deputy chairman of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan, told Asia-Plus that on February 17, they filed an appeal with the higher court requesting a review of the verdict.
Earlier, lawyers and relatives of the first deputy chairman of the Social-Democratic Party of Tajikistan also legal expert Shokirjon Hakimov, and journalist Rukhshona Hakimova also reported that they appealed the verdict through the cassation process.
It should be noted that Rukhshona Hakimova’s lawyer petitioned for her release based on Article 71 of the Criminal Code of Tajikistan, which allows for the conditional non-application of punishment.
It is unclear how long it will take to review all of these cassation appeals.
Why were these people convicted?
The arrests of prominent Tajik political figures began in June 2024 with the detention of Saidjafar Usmonzoda. On June 14 of last year, then Prosecutor-General Yusuf Rahmon informed parliament members that a case had been opened against Usmonzoda under Part 2 of Article 306 (violent seizure of power or violent retention of power) of the Criminal Code of Tajikistan.
Subsequently, the following individuals were arrested:
· Akbarshoh Iskandarov, former Chairman of the Supreme Council of Tajikistan;
· Ahmadshoh Komilzoda, Deputy Chairman of the Democratic Party, journalist (removed from his position after arrest);
· Hamrokhon Zarifi, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan;
· Shokirjon Hakimov, lawyer, first deputy chairman of the SDPT;
· Abdulfaiz Atoi, former head of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan;
· Nuramin Ghanizoda and Jamshed Boboev, two retired colonels from the National Security Committee.
Later, it became known that 31-year-old journalist Rukhshona Hakimova was also a defendant in the case, but she had remained free due to having an infant child. After the verdict was announced, she was taken into custody.
The first court session for the "coup attempt" case took place on November 14, 2024, in the Dushanbe pre-trial detention center in a closed session. After nearly three months of judicial proceedings, on February 5, nine individuals were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 8 to 27 years.
