DUSHANBE, January 21, 2014, Asia-Plus – A statement by Zayd Saidov’s defense lawyer that they have allegedly failed to receive the copy of the sentence does not correspond to the facts, Nusratullo Abdulloyev, Chairman of the Supreme Court of Tajikistan, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on January 21.
According to him, they offered Saidov’s defense lawyers to receive the copy of the sentence five days after pronouncement of the verdict but the lawyers refused.
“As you know, Saidov’s case has been classified as “top secret”, and therefore, we demanded that his lawyers sign a non-disclosure document but they refused and declined to receive the copy of the sentence,” Abdulloyev said.
The Supreme Court Judge Shavkat Abdulkhairov, who presided over the trial of Zayd Saidov, noted that Saidov’s case had been designated “top secret” because it “had involved underage girl.”
We will recall that defense lawyers of Tajik tycoon Zayd Saidov are currently preparing appeal to the United Nations Human Rights Committee and other international human rights bodies over the Tajik Supreme Court’s verdict against their client.
One of Saidov’s defense lawyers, Shuhrat Qudratov, said on January 20 that the Supreme Court Judge Shavkat Abdulkhairov has not yet handed the copy of the sentence to them. “The judge demands that we sign a document that we are warned about criminal liability for disclosing the criminal case materials and the sentence itself,” Qudratov said. According to him, they cannot appeal against the sentence until they receive the copy of the sentence.
The Supreme Court sentenced Zayd Saidov to 26 years in prison and confiscation of property on December 25. The sentence followed his conviction on the charges of financial fraud, polygamy, and sexual relations with a minor. The court also imposed an 80,000-smoni fine and stripped Zayd Saidov of all previous state honors and awards. Zayd Saidov is also barred from doing business for five years after release.
