DUSHANBE, July 15, 2011, Asia-Plus — Over the first half-year of 2011, the Supreme Court of Tajikistan has passed five life imprisonment sentences for persons who have committed grave crimes, including four high-profile prison escapees, the Supreme Court head Nusratullo Abdulloyev announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on July 15.
According to him, the court jailed four persons for life in connection with a mass jailbreak last August that left several prison guards dead.
They were among 25 prisoners who broke out of the prison on the night of August 23, killing four guards. The court also found four other men guilty of helping the escapees reach safe locations, the Supreme Court head noted.
“The fifth one who got the life sentence is criminal Merganov who is a recidivist,” Abdulloyev said.
Asked about the incident that took place in Khorog last month, Abdulloyev said, “The cause of the incident is under investigation.” “I cannot say anything until the investigation ends; however, I cannot say that there are no corrupt judges in Tajikistan’s judicial system,” he stressed.
We will recall that dozens of men angered by the sentence passed by the GBAO regional court attacked the GBAO regional court and prosecutor’s office in Khorog on June 10. Several court employees were beaten in the incident. Two persons suspected of attacking the court were taken into custody. The men were reportedly angered by a nine-year prison term the court gave Qayum Rahmikhudoyev for killing a man who allegedly broke into his home and attacked him. They also claimed that a court employee accepted money in return for a more lenient sentence for Rahmikhudoyev, but that the bribe-taker did not keep his promise.
