The Interior Ministry of Tajikistan is seeking witnesses of Commander Khouja’s crimes. He is suspected of banditry, murder, torture, hostage taking and illegal possession of weapons.
The Tajik Interior Ministry has officially confirmed extradition of field commander of former pro-government Popular Front during the country’s five year-year civil war, Khouja Karimov, also known as Commander Khouja.
A statement released by the Interior Ministry’s press center says Khouja Karimov was detained in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) in July 2019 at the request of Tajik authorities and was extradited to Tajikistan on February 16, 2020.
According to data from the Interior Ministry, Khouja Karimov is suspected of banditry, murder, torture, hostage taking and illegal possession of firearms.
In its statement, the Interior Ministry asks witnesses and victims of Khouja Karimov’s crimes to apply to the ministry.
“If you have information or evidence of crimes committed by Khouja Karimov, or underwent his criminal acts, you can call the Interior Ministry’s hotline number 221-21-21 as well as the phone numbers 227-10-07 and 93-992-01-96 to the Interior Ministry Criminal Investigation Directorate,” says the statement.
Khouja Karimov is notorious for reported cruelty during the civil conflict in the country.
After the war, he was a deputy commander of a special brigade at the Ministry of Defense and the chairman of Tajikistan’s Football Federation.
Karimov fled Tajikistan for Malaysia after Tajik authorities launched criminal charges against him in September 2005.
