DUSHANBE, May 8, 2009, Asia-Plus — Hunger strike announced by a group of women merchants that ran shops in Dushanbe’s Zarnisor market has been going on for already three days.
As it had been reported earlier, dozens of women merchants at Zarnisor market went on hunger strike on May 6 to protest decision by economic court to demolish the market.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the protestors, lawyer Shuhrat Qudratov said the merchants were not going to stop the hunger strike even despite the fact that some of them were in hospital yesterday. “After medical examination, they joined the proctors again,” the lawyer said.
According to him, senior representatives from Dushanbe mayor’s office met with protestors and tried to persuade them to stop the hunger strike but the merchants refused.
“The Dushanbe officials promised to provide them with new places for their shops but the merchants did not believe them because earlier, they had lost jobs after demolition of the Rohi Abreshim market in Dushanbe’s microrayon 82,” Qudratov said, noting that the merchants decided to continue the hunger strike until the decision on demolition of the market is annulled.
Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported on May 7 that Shuhrat Qudratov said the market is legal and no one has challenged its existence since it was established in 1995.
Boturkhon Talbakov, one of the bazaar”s owners, told RFE/RL that in the last five years market officials have paid more than 13 million somoni (about $3.25 million) in taxes. He said that according to a general plan of the city and the court”s decision, Zarnisor — which is situated in western Dushanbe — should be demolished.
Dushanbe Mayoral Office spokesman Shavkat Saidov told RFE/RL’s Tajik Service that the city is ready to consider other options regarding the demolition.
The Zarnisor market was closed last September following the ruling handed down by the High Economic Court. Dushanbe officials stated the market had been built on illegally privatized property while merchants said the market ran for 13 years and the shops were legal. In late March this year, a group of women merchants held a demonstration in front of the Tajik president”s office asking him to intervene in a controversial property case.
