DUSHANBE, May 31 2016, Asia-Plus – Resident of the northern city of Isfara has been jailed for shooting cell phone video of detention of two local women wearing hijab.
A court in Isfara sentenced Oqil Sharifov to one year in prison on May 26.
Ms. Fayzinisso Vohidova, a lawyer for Oqil Sharifov, says the sentence followed his conviction on charges of inciting ethnic, racial, regional or religious enmity (Article 189 (2) of Tajikistan’s Pena Code). Sharifov will serve his term in a high-security penal colony.
“Over the past 15 years, Oqil Sharifov has lived in Russia and he has Russian citizenship,” said Vohidova. “He arrived in Tajikistan in February this year in order to take his 6-year-ol son, who suffers from brain neoplasm, to Russia for medical treatment.”
According to her, Sharifov did not spread the video. “He was detained on February 20 at 2:00 pm, while a 47-second video shot by him was posted on the Internet on February 20 at 7:40 pm,” the lawyer said.
Vohidova intends to appeal the Isfara court’s verdict against her client.
