The governor of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), Yodgor Faizov, was discharged from a hospital on June 1. The same day, he paid visit to the Rushan district to get acquainted with the situation there after a protest rally held by a group of residents of Rushan outside local security service office on May 25.
Rumors circulated on social media on May 27 that Interior Ministry special troops had been sent to the area to quell any possible unrest.
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry denies these rumors as absolutely unfounded.
Nusratullo Mahmadzoda, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, told Asia-Plus that no additional forces had been sent to GBAO.
According to some media reports, hundreds of residents in Rushan gathered before the local security service office on May 25 to demand that the law enforcement authorities stop harassing three local young men arrested with Sharof Qobilov, who is suspected by the authorities of drug-smuggling and leading an organized criminal group.
Those three young men are accused of being members of Qobilov’s criminal group.
Meanwhile, local residents consider that they are innocent and demand that the law enforcement authorities stop harassing those three young men. They fear that guys will be tortured and will be made take the fall.
Citing its source, Fergana news agency says security officers on May 23 tried to take the detainees from their cells to a nearby border service garrison. The crowd reportedly surrounded the prisoner transport van and freed the men.
The law enforcement authorities now insist that these young people be given to the authorities.
Khovar national news agency says a 44-year-old Sharof Qobilov, who is accused of trafficking narcotics from across the border in Afghanistan, was arrested on May 22. It was reportedly not even the first attempt to capture Qobilov. A previous operation ended with Qobilov managing to flee to an unknown location, although two accomplices transporting a large consignment of drugs were purportedly captured.
