DUSHANBE, November 27, 2008, Asia-Plus — In reply to the letter by the Russian PEN-Center President Andrey Bitov and the Glasnot Defense Foundation President Aleskey over destiny of Tajik opposition journalist Dodojon Atovulloyev, the Russian Prosecutor-General’s Office noted that it has not yet received Tajikistan’s request for extradition of Dodojon Atovulloyev, Moscow-based news agency Ferghana.ru reported on November 27.
“The Russian Prosecutor-General’s Office refused Tajikistan’s extradition request in 2001 already,” the letter by the Russian chief prosecutor’s office said, noting that the Russian Interior Ministry investigation department was given an instruction banning search operation against Dodojon Atovulloyev in the territory of the Russian Federation.
“What we all now want is that the 2001 decision of the Russian Prosecutor-General’s Office to refuse Tajikistan’s request for extradition of Dodojon Atovulloyev will not be canceled,” Aleksey Simonov said, according to Freghana.ru.
In the meantime, the Tajik Prosecutor-General’s Office has refused to comment on this information.
According to the Glasnot Defense Foundation, Simonov and Bitov on September 24 sent a letter to the Russian president’s office, expressing concern about persecution of known Tajik opposition journalist Dodojon Atovulloyev. They requested for either granting him political asylum or permitting him to leave for country, where he could be in no danger.
Atovulloyev is the editor of the online opposition newspaper
Charoghi Rouz
, the founder of an organization of Tajiks in Russia, Vatandor, and a sharp critic of the policies of President Emomali Rahmon. He claims that many former politicians, intellectuals, and political opponents of Rahmon have joined his opposition movement.
At a press conference in Moscow in June 2008, Atovulloyev sharply criticized the Tajik government for what he said was pervasive corruption and nepotism, and its inaction in dealing with poor social conditions. After Atovulloyev”s latest press conference, the Tajik chief prosecutor’s office called him an “information terrorist” who is implementing orders from abroad, and vowed to open a criminal case against him.
We will recall that the Tajik Prosecutor-General’s Office instituted criminal proceedings against last September under the provisions of several articles of Tajikistan’s Penal Code, including Article 307 (calls for overthrowing the constitutional order) and Article 137 (public defamation of the president).
Dodojon Atovulloyev currently lives in one of European countries.
