DUSHANBE, January 18, 2016, Asia-Plus – Davlat Cholov, a former field commander in the Popular Front of Tajikistan, a paramilitary group that supported the government during the five-year civil war, has reportedly been killed in Syria fighting alongside the Islamist groups against the government forces.
An official source at one of Tajik power-wielding structures of Tajikistan says Davlat Cholov, 45, who joined the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, was killed in Syria at the end of last week.
Davlat Cholov is the brother of Qurbon Cholov, a former influential field commander in the Popular Front of Tajikistan. Qurbon Cholov died in Dushanbe in November 2014.
Davlat Cholov disappeared about four months ago there were rumors that he had joined the IS terrorist group.
We will recall that on February 12, 2014, Davlat Cholov was arrested alongside other Tajik national, Abdukarim Shukurov. They were accused of being a members of a gang that recruited young men to fight in Syria. The two had planned to travel from Dushanbe to Istanbul on February 11 but left the airport an hour before the flight was scheduled to depart.
Three other men, named as Abdurahmon Qodirov, Savriddin Jourayev, and Azamatjon Khojamqulov, were also arrested in connection with the charges. Prosecutors said they collaborated with Cholov and Shukurov.
Cholov was charged under two articles of Tajikistan”s Penal code: Article 187 (3) – organizing a criminal group); and Article 307 (2) — organizing the activity of an extremist group.
According to Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, Cholov had pleaded not guilty to the charges, saying that investigators had misunderstood the content of wiretapped telephone calls between him and others. During the telephone calls, Cholov allegedly used the Tajik word for “auntie” allegedly as a codeword to refer to Syria. Cholov said that the word “auntie” did not refer to Syria but was “a reference to our mothers.” He also argued that he had not intended to travel on to Syria from Istanbul but that he was traveling to Turkey on business.
RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported that Davlat Cholov was released on December 10, 2014 after being ordered to pay a fine.
