According to operational data, mutinous Colonel Mahmoud Khudoiberdiyev, who was living in Uzbekistan after he fled Tajikistan in 1997, has left Uzbekistan after the death of Islam Karimov, Iskandar Solehzoda, the chief of the Interior Ministry’s office in Khatlon province, told reporters in Bokhtar on July 25.
“We do not have any specific information about his present whereabouts, but according to some sources, he is now in Turkey,” Solehzoda.
According to him, Khdoiberdiyev’s armed group has broken up after Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s rise to power in Uzbekistan and members of the group have left Uzbekistan.
Solehzoda further added that neither Mahmoud Khudoiberdiyev nor members of his group would be able to affect friendly relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan anymore.
Recall, Colonel Mahmoud Khudoiberdiyev made two failed coup attempts in 1997 and 1998.
After the failed coup attempt made in August 1997, Khudoiberdiyev and his supporters retreated south via Shahritous and Beshkent into southern Uzbekistan. According to some sources, after leaving Tajikistan, the mutinous colonel and his militant followers moved through Uzbekistan into Afghanistan in November 1997. Khudoiberdiyev reportedly returned to Uzbekistan in June 1998.
On November 4 1998, Khdoiberdiyev’s armed group invaded Sughd province from Uzbekistan. A few days later the government regained control of the province. Some 100 people were reportedly killed in the Sughd clashes.
Tajik Prosecutor-General’s Office instituted criminal proceedings against Khudoiberdiyev under the provisions of two articles of Tajikistan’s Penal Code (high treason and coup attempt) and has repeatedly requested Uzbek authorities to extradite Khudoiberdiyev to Tajikistan.
