DUSHANBE, January 10, 2013, Asia-Plus – The Ministry of Health (MoH) has never handed over information about mental condition of Umarali Quvvatov to media sources, Minister of Health, Nusratullo Salimov, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on January 10.
“We just gave information that Umarali Quvvatov was registered with the Republican Clinical Center for Psychotherapy from 1998 to 2008 to the Tajik law enforcement authorities at their request,” the minister said, noting that he does not know how that information leaked into media sources.
We will recall that some media outlets in early September last year released information that Umarali Quvvatov suffers from a mental illness. According to that report, Quvvatov suffers from one of types of schizophrenia.
This information was published following the announcement of the establishment of the Group 24 opposition movement in Moscow.
Mr. Umarali Quvvatov positions himself as entrepreneur who became politician and was forced to flee to the Russian Federation following “certain problems he faced in homeland.”
Umarali Quvvatov was arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on December 23, 2012 at the request of Tajik authorities. He is being accused of illegally obtaining about $1.2 million through fraudulent business activities.
His supporters, however, consider that his arrest might be politically motivated. Quvvatov set up the Group 24 opposition movement last summer.
Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reports that Quvvatov has denounced the fraud case against him and accused Tajik President Emomali Rahmon of running a “totalitarian regime.” In an open letter smuggled out of the detention center where he is being held, Umarali Quvvatov said the accusations leveled against him were “a direct consequence” of his battle against the “oppression of the Tajik people” by Rahmon”s government.
