DUSHANBE, October 12, Asia-Plus – The Supreme Court has already issued a copy of its verdict against given the former commander of the presidential guards and former drug control chief of Tajikistan Ghaffor Mirzoyev, Izbillo Khojayev, chairman of Tajikistan’s Supreme Court, told journalists in Dushanbe on October 11.
On the arguments of Misroyev’s defense lawyer that the investigation had been carried out with numerous violations of law, Khojayev said that the appeals court will consider those issues.
In the meantime, Abduqayum Yusufov, the defense lawyer of Ghaffor Mirzoyev, said in an interview with Asia-Plus that nobody handed over the verdict copy to him. “I have managed to familiarize myself with the verdict copy only through Mirzoyev’s relatives,” Yusufov said, noting that he has not yet received a copy of the trial minute. “This is a gross violation of law because the minute copy should be handed over within three days after the completion of trial,” said Mirzoyev’s lawyer, “Therefore we are not yet able to properly appeal the court’s decision.”
The other violation of law is that the penal system authorities do not allow Mirzoyev meeting with his relatives and lawyers. “Earlier, they were justifying this by saying that he is still under authority of court,” said Yusufov, “Though we now have the Supreme Court’s permission for meeting with Mirzoyev the penal system authorities have not allowed us to meet with Ghaffor Mirzoyev.”
According to him, he lodged complain about actions of the penal system authorities to the justice ministry while the minister sent the complain to person against him it was. “It is also the gross violation of law,” the lawyer said.
He also noted that according to unchecked information, Mirzoyev has not had walks over the past two months though he is in generally good condition.
We will recall that in early September, there were rumors that Mirzoyev had allegedly died. Abduqayum Yusufov, however, said rumors about the death of his client were unfounded.
The Supreme Court sentenced Mirzoyev to life imprisonment on August 11, after his conviction of planning a coup, tax evasion, illegally crossing the border and abuse of office. Fifteen military officers have already received sentences ranging from five to 16 years for their role in the alleged coup plot in January 2004.
Mirzoyev commanded the presidential guard between 1995 until his dismissal in January, 2004. He was also the head of the country”s drug control agency. He was arrested on August 6, 2004.
