DUSHANBE, August 27, 2009, Asia-Plus — Officers from the GBAO police directorate have found the bike of one of Eurasia Foundation Network donors that has been disappeared in the Sokhcharv village, some 32 kilometers of Khorog, and a 16,000 kilometer bike ride from Oslo to Beijing for raising funds for two youth projects of the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA) in Tajikistan will be continued.
The GBAO police directorate chief, Colonel Abdullo Navjuvanov, told Asia-Plus that the bike was found yesterday. He noted that they had not received any application about bike theft.
“We knew about the lost bike from Internet and went to Sokhcharv,” said Navjuvanov, “The head of local village community also noted that nobody had applied to them over the lost bike. Police officers found the bike in one of houses and local 10-year-old kid said that he allegedly found the bike that was unattended.”
Tajik law enforcement authorities said they had failed to get in touch with employee of the EFCA Dushanbe Office Ravshan Sadulloyev who released “the unfounded report about the bike theft yesterday via media.” The bike is currently at the GBAO police directorate and the cause of disappearance of the bike is under investigation. “It is to be noted that it was not robbery as it was mentioned in press release issued yesterday, because robbery is the crime of seizing property through violence or intimidation,” Tajik police authorities noted.
We will recall that according to the EFCA Dushanbe Office, the bike ride from Oslo to Beijing has been interrupted in Gorno Badakhshan as bike of one cyclists has been stolen in the village of Sokhcharv in the Shugnan district, some 32 kilometers of Khorog,
As it had been reported earlier, the Eurasia Foundation Network most active donors, Ricard Salevik and Jean Frederic Gauvin, began the bike ride from Oslo to Beijing in March this year. They are using this opportunity to raise funds for social development projects in the region and have selected to work with EFCA to support two youth income generation projects in Tajikistan. The cyclists are assisting with implementation of the projects aimed at providing vocational training on sewing and cooking to young women from the Vahdat district to help them start their own businesses and assisting with development of the bee-farming businesses in the Sokhcharv village.
“Unknown persons stole the bike of Ricard Salevik in the village of Sokhcharv on the night of August 23-24,” said the source, “They did not take other things of the cyclist, among which were documents, notebook computer, photo camera and billfold. The GBAO law enforcement authorities and local residents are taking efforts to find the bike.”
“The Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia expresses gratitude to the law enforcement authorities for investigation conducted by them and hopes for successful completion of the investigation,” noted the source. “If the bike is not found, Ricard Salevik will have to return home and Jean Frederic Gauvin will continue the ride to Beijing alone.” The cost of the stolen bike is more than € 2,000.
The cyclists have crossed 13 European and Asian countries to this day and have been faced with theft for the first time. Ricard Salevik and Jean Frederic Gauvin have already raised more than 17,000 U.S. dollars for the mentioned projects. The main contribution has been made by France’s la Fibre. Besides, other sponsors and citizens of the countries the cyclists have crossed have also made donations.
