The Supreme Court of Tajikistan has officially commented on certain details of the case involving several well-known political figures, most of whom are accused of "treason" and "violent seizure of power."
Shavkat Lutfullozoda, First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court and the judge who oversaw the case, known as the “coup attempt,” stated at a news conference in Dushanbe on February 13: "The case materials contain circumstances indicating that their actions were directly aimed at committing treason and violently seizing power."
The judge refused to disclose further details regarding these two charges, noting, "Since the case was heard in a closed court session, the law obliges us not to disclose its circumstances."
Lutfullozoda explained that the trial was held in closed proceedings but included both a judge and lay judges.
Who was convicted and under which articles
Hamrokhon Zarifi, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan, was found guilty of the following charges: negligence (Article 322, Part 1); knowingly false report of a serious or particularly serious crime (Article 346, Part 2, item "a"); treason (Article 305, Part 1); violent seizure of power (Article 306, Part 1); and insulting a public official online (Article 330, Part 2). He was sentenced to 27 years in prison and fined 10,000 somonis (250 calculating indicators) in favor of the state.
Saidjafar Usmonzoda, former chairman of the Democratic Party and former member of parliament, was found guilty of the following charges: violent seizure of power using official position (Article 306, Part 2, item "c"); treason committed repeatedly using official position (Article 305, Part 2); incitement of social, racial, national, regional, or religious hatred (Article 189, Part 2); participation in activities of political parties, public, religious organizations, or other groups that have been legally banned by the court due to extremism (Article 307 (3), Part 2); and fraud in particularly large amounts (Article 247, Part 4). He was sentenced to 27 years in prison.
Retired colonel from the State Committee for National Security (SCNS), Jamshed Boboyev, was sentenced to 21 years in prison. The sentence followed his conviction on charges of treason (Article 305, Part 1) and violent seizure of power (Article 306, Part 1).
Ahmadshoh Komilzoda, former deputy chairman of the Democratic Party and journalist, was found guilty of violent seizure of power using official position (Article 306, Part 2, item "v"). He was sentenced to 19 years in prison.
Akbarshoh Iskandarov, former chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Tajikistan, was found guilty of violent seizure of power using official position (Article 306, Part 2, item "v"). He was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Shokirjon Hakimov, lawyer and first deputy chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan, was sentenced to 18 years in prison. The sentence followed his conviction on charges incitement of social, racial, national, regional, or religious hatred (Article 189, Part 2) and treason using official position (Article 305, Part 1, item "v").
Retired colonel from the State Committee for National Security (SCNS), Nourahmad Ghanizoda, got the jail term of 18 years. The sentence followed his conviction on charges of violent seizure of power (Article 306, Part 1).
Abdulfayz Atoi, former head of the Department of Information, Press, Analysis, and Planning of Foreign Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was found guilty of the following charges: violent seizure of power (Article 306, Part 1); forgery of official documents providing rights, committed by a group of people in prior; conspiracy (Article 340, Part 2); and illegal allocation of land by a group of people in prior conspiracy (Article 38 (1), Part 2, item "b"). He was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
Rukhshona Hakimova, journalist, was found guilty of aiding in the crime of treason using official position (Article 305, Part 2). She was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Eight public figures were tried in secret in Dushanbe. The closed-door trial of them began on November 14. All of the accused denied the charges of attempting a coup.
The events began with a statement by the then Prosecutor-General Yusuf Rahmon, who asked parliament on June 14 to revoke the legislative immunity of lawmaker Saidjafar Usmonzoda, who had been arrested two days earlier. Yusuf Rahmon announced at a parliamentary session that Usmonzoda was being charged under Article 306, Part 2, Clause "v" of the Criminal Code (seizure of power through violence).
Tajikistan's top prosecutor claimed that Usmonzoda had been in contact with the banned National Alliance of Tajikistan to discuss a plan to “seize political power by force.”
Within days, prominent public figures — former Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi, former parliament speaker Akbarshoh Iskandarov, deputy head of the Democratic Party Ahmadshoh Komilzoda, and the deputy leader of the Social-Democratic Party, Shokirjon Hakimov, were detained in Dushanbe.
Authorities also detained three other lesser-known officials — Abdulfaiz Atoi, Nourahmad Ghanizoda and Jamshed Boboyev.
Rahmon has claimed the plot involved seeking US$10 million from a “foreign government” while the banned Muslim extremist group Jamoati Ansorulloh was enlisted to provide some 3,000 militants for the takeover, an accusation that puzzled many because the defendants are known to be staunchly secular.
In August, prosecutors told reporters in Dushanbe that all of the cases being probed were “closely related.”
Since then, there has been no word from the authorities, court officials, or defense lawyers about the cases. All available information comes from various sources and has not been officially confirmed by authorities.
