A trial of the Russian national Tatiana Khuzhina, who is charged with coin smuggling, is going on in a court in Dushanbe’s Shohmansour district.
Presided over by Judge Masrour Jourakhonzoda, the trial is being held behind closed door and journalists were not allowed to attend the trial.
Ms. Khuzhina’s defense lawyer, Rustam Hakimov, says his client violated the law because she had to register the Russian empire coin. “However, we hope for humaneness of Tajik court,” the lawyer said.
Counselor of Russian Embassy in Dushanbe, Alexander Samartsev, who attended the trial, says, “The coin found in Ms. Khuzhina’s purse does not have a numismatic value because it is in a poor state and its price in accordance with the Krause Catalogue (Standard Catalogue of Coins – 1801-1900) is only 2.00-4.00 dollars.”
The next judicial sitting will take place next week.
Recall, RIA Novosti news agency reported that Tatiana Khuzhina was detained at the Dushanbe airport two month ago. An inspection of passengers on the Dushanbe-Moscow flight found an 1823 Russian imperial copper 2-kopek coin in her purse. Criminal proceedings have been instituted against the woman. The trial of Tatiana Khuzhina began on August 7 and she faces smuggling charges.
“The Russian Embassy has taken the case under its control and both legal and moral assistance is being provided to Tatiana Khuzhina. Representatives of the Embassy will attend all judicial sittings,” Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan Igor Lyakin-Frolov was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.
According to RIA Novosti, Tatiana Khuzhina says she found the coin in Russia while sorting out old things. “I took the coin to the pawn shop and they said that the price for it is 100-200 Russian rubles. I put the coin into my purse and forgot about it,” Khuzhina was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.
Meanwhile, according to information posted on the Raritetus.ru website, the price for the 1823 Russian imperial copper 2-kopek coin fluctuates from 252 to 15,210 Russian rubles depending on its state of preservation.
