DUSHANBE, February 28, 2013, Asia-Plus — Two residents of Khorog – Oqil Ayombekov and Hamza Murodov – have got long jail terms for killing regional security chief Abdullo Nazarov in the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).
On Thursday February 28, the court in Khorog, the capital of Gorno Badakhshan, sentenced Oqil Ayombekov and Hamza Murodov to 17 and 16 years in prison respectively. The sentence followed their conviction on charges of murder (Article 104 (2) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code), weapon embezzlement (Article 194 (4), and use of violence against a representative of authorities (Article 328 (2). They will serve their terms in a high-security penal colony and their personal properties will be confiscated.
The court’s ruling was nearly identical to the prosecution’s earlier demand for 17.5- and 16.5-year prison terms.
Meanwhile, the defendants’ lawyers, Fayzi Oli, claimed Abdullo Nazarov”s death was unintentional manslaughter.
On the sentence passed on Oqil Ayombekov, the lawyer said the sentence was “quite a moderate.” “My client agrees with the sentence because he gave himself up. But if he decides to appeal against the verdict, we will protect his legal right to appeal,” the lawyer said.
As far as the sentence passed on Hamza Murodov is concerned, Oli said they would appeal against it. “He is found guilty of all charges brought against (murder, weapon embezzlement and use of violence against a representative of authorities) though we asked the court to re-qualify his actions as not reporting or concealing a crime because Hamza Murodov did not participating in the murder, he just concealed the crime,” Fayzi Oli stressed.
The trial started February 19 and the sessions were held behind closed doors.
The GBAO regional security chief Abdullo Nazarov was stabbed to death on July 21, 2012.
The clashes began in Khorog on July 24 when government forces launched a military operation against what it called “militants” following the murder of the regional security chief. The operation lasted for several weeks
The authorities have blamed Tolib Ayombekov, a former warlord from the civil war who had been deputy chief of border unit in the Ishkashim district until recently, for the murder of the regional security chief Abdullo Nazarov. Hundreds of troops have reportedly poured into Khorog to hunt down Ayombekov.
Authorities also accused Ayombekov of drug-trading and smuggling tobacco and precious stones.
Tolib Ayombekov has denied the accusations and said the government used Nazarov”s death as a pretext for cementing its grip over Gorno Badakhshan.
Oqil Ayombekov, who is the brother of Tolib Ayombekov, and Hamza Murodov surrendered to the authorities in late July.
Tolib Ayombekov himself surrendered to the authorities on August 12.
Another former filed commander of the United Tajik Opposition (UTO) in Gorno Badakhshan, Imomnazar Imomnazarov, was murdered by unknown assailants in his home in Khorog on August 22.
