In his interview to AP one of Nizomhon Juraev’s friends said the information of Juraev’s release is not true since he knows nothing about it.
He said he is in close contact with Juraev’s lawyer who said nothing about his release.
At the same time he said he does not understand why Head of the Counter-Corruption Agency Fattoh Saidov told the reporters about Juraev’s release.
Iskandar Firuz, a reporter from BBC’s Tajik service who was the first to report about Juraev’s release, claims that the voice of a man he spoke to over the phone was similar to ex-deputy’s voice.
“I watched Juraev on TV and I recognized his voice when I talked to him on the phone,” Iskandar Firuz said.
In his telephone conversation with BBC reporter former deputy of Sughd regional majlis reported that he was released but refused to talk about his whereabouts for security reasons. Juraev also asked the reporter not to highlight the case at the moment since the investigation is not over yet and promised to provide detailed information later when the investigation is over.
Tajik right defender Shuhrat Kudratov said that according to those articles under which Juraev is charged, he can not be released under a written undertaking not to leave. Under these articles, Juraev should be kept in detention.
However, Tajik BBC Service reported that Head of the Tajik State Finance Control and Counter Corruption Agency Fattoh Saidov said that Juraev is currently facing charges under Article 289 (smuggling) of the Criminal Code of Tajikistan.
