KHUJAND, August 18, 2009, Asia-Plus — The trial of six alleged activists of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) is beginning in Sughd’s regional court in Khujand today.
The source at the Sughd regional court said that Anvar Qayumov, who is reportedly the head of the IMU cell in the Isfara district and five his confederates, including Musayamkhouja Sharipov, Mukarramkhouja Sharipov, Abdumubin Tursunov, Sayfullokhon Okhounov and Mirsaid Yunusov, are in the dock.
All of them are residents of the Isfara district and they are accused of having been involved in a number of serious crimes. They, in particular face charges of setting up criminal group, setting up criminal group for committing grave and especially grave crimes, killing of two and more persons, stealage of weapons, and document fraud.
The group”s leader, Anvar Qayumov, was extradited from Afghanistan to Tajikistan in December 2008. Sayfullokhon Okhounov was reportedly an aide to Qayumov. Tajik officials say that this IMU group, in particular, organized an attack on a detention center in Qairoqqum in 2006 in which an IMU member escaped.
The IMU is a militant Islamist group formed in 1998. It was largely destroyed in 2001 when it fought with the Taliban against U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
