MOSCOW, July 8, 2011, Asia-Plus — Tajik national Makhsoudjon Ismatov, who was serving his sentence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for involvement in murder of former Chechen warlord Sulim Yamadayev, has been deported to Tajikistan, Russian media outlets reported on July 8.
Iranian national Mahdi Tagi Lurnia (phonetically spelled), who was also serving his sentence in UAE for involvement in murder of Yamadayev, has also been deported. Ismatov was reportedly deported on Thursday July 7, while Lurnia was deported on July 3.
We will recall that a Dubai court on December 22, 2010 slashed the prison terms for Ismatov and Lurnia convicted in the 2009 slaying of a former Chechen warlord from life to just three years in a surprise ruling. That time, the Dubai Appeals Court gave no immediate reason for its decision.
The decision by the appeals court judge allowed Ismatov ad Lurnia to go free in early 2012, counting time already served in prison.
They were convicted in April of helping plan the March 2009 slaying of Yamadayev, who was living in Dubai under an alias.
Russian media outlets report that the Dubai appeals court slashed the prison terms for Lurnia and Ismatov from life to three years following a letter by one of the Yamadayev brothers, Isa, in which the family of Sulim Yamadayev disavowed any desire for further punishments in connection with the killing.
