KHOROG, February 24, 2011, Asia-Plus — Lawyers of three residents of Khorog convicted of murder consider that the GBAO regional court’s verdict against their clients is too heavy and have decided to appeal to the Supreme Court of Tajikistan.
We will recall that GBAO regional court have considered criminal proceedings instituted against four residents of Khorog – Raimyor Nazarmamadov, Maqsad Mamadatoyev, Saidjaffar Mastonshoyev and Munavvar Mamadatoyev – and ruled on February 18 that Raimyor Nazarmamadov be sentenced to life in prison, Maqsad Mamadatoyev be given a jail term of 25 years and Saidjaffar Mastonshoyev be given a jail term of 20 years. The sentence followed their conviction on charges of murder, hooliganism and theft. The court also sentenced Munavvar Mamadatoyev to one year in prison for not reporting a crime to police.
They beat two local residents Alidod Khudobakhshev and Manouchehr Amonkhojayev on September 9, 2010. Khudobakhshev died on the way to hospital of numerous stab wounds he sustained in the fight.
According to lawyers, the court did not take into consideration “a number of mitigating circumstances.”
“The court has not fully determined the extent of guilt of each of the convicts,” Qurbonsho Safariyev, lawyer of Saidjaffar Mastonshoyev, told Asia-Plus in an interview. “The court has not found out who was the instigator, who was criminal participant and who was principal offender. Despite this, all three criminal participants were accused of killing,” said the lawyer, “The court also did not take into consideration the current age of the convicts. They are aged 21 to 23.”
