DUSHANBE, February 29, 2012, Asia-Plus — A Tajik businessman arrested in Moscow in 2010 on a warrant from Tajikistan has not been released from custody after his term of pretrial detention expired.
Nizomkhon Jourayev, a former local representative and the former director of a chemical plant in Isfara, is wanted in Tajikistan on charges of embezzlement and organized crime.
Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported on February 28 that Jourayev”s lawyer, Anna Stavitskaya, said Moscow”s failure to release Jourayev could mean Russia plans to file new charges against him.
She said her client was informed on February 27 that a new investigation of him had been launched in connection with the attempted murder two years ago of Tajik national Mirbodullo Karimov.
The European Court of Human Rights and international rights groups have urged Russia not to extradite Jourayev, saying he may be tortured in Tajikistan.
The Tajik government launched an investigation into the financial activities of Jourayev and his partners from 1998 to 2007 and found it was claimed that Jourayev and members of a criminal group he allegedly established had embezzled money, evaded taxes, forged documents, bribed officials, and intimidated people in order to acquire property and business assets.
Investigators also accused him of being responsible for the assassination of Deputy Prosecutor-General Tolib Boboyev in 1999.
Jourayev”s brothers, Tolib and Fakhriddin, were among 31 family members and associates arrested and tried in 2009. His brothers are now serving prison sentences for alleged involvement in Boboyev”s assassination.
