Salmon Rajabzoda, a Tajik blogger known by the name Jumaboy, was released from detention in Russia on February 20 after more than a year of being held.
Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, known locally as Radio Ozodi, reported on February 25 that he stated on February 24 in a video message that investigators “found no evidence of his guilt and closed the case.” He has since temporarily left the country.
The blogger, who holds both Tajik and Russian citizenship, was detained in January 2024 on suspicion of "inciting interethnic hatred and insulting the honor and dignity" of others.
At that time, the Russian Investigative Committee claimed that he "posted staged videos in which he humiliated girls of Slavic appearance and demeaned their dignity."
Some Russian media reported that the video in question allegedly featured the blogger saying, “Soon all Russian girls will be ours.” However, he dismissed this accusation as unfounded.
The blogger stated that throughout his time in detention, he fought to prove his innocence:
“I was confident that my innocence would be proven. I studied many laws, worked with good lawyers, wrote complaints to the Russian authorities, and engaged in reading legal literature.”
Salmon Rajabzoda was detained in Moscow in January last year. At the time, the Investigative Committee reported that he had filmed and posted videos on the internet that allegedly “humiliated the dignity of Slavic-looking women.”
According to the investigation, in December 2023, a video circulated online in which he allegedly stated that “soon all Russian girls will be ours.” However, the video only featured a photo of the blogger from his social media account and a voiceover.
The blogger claimed that the voice in the video was not his and that he had never intended harm or incited ethnic hatred in his activities.
On January 9, 2024, the Simonov Court of Moscow decided to keep the blogger free, finding the investigation's arguments unconvincing, and placed him under house arrest.
However, on January 17, 2024, the Moscow City Court overturned the Simonov District Court's ruling and sent the case for reconsideration.
A court in Moscow’s Chertanovo district has ruled that blogger from Tajikistan, is to be held in a pretrial detention facility as he is charged with inciting hatred or enmity (Article 282 (2) of Russia’s Penal Code).
After his arrest, Russian authorities revoked his Russian citizenship
However, Salmon (Jumaboy) Rajabzoda claims that since he was acquitted under the law, his Russian passport should be reinstated.
At the moment, he has temporarily left the country, as noted by Radio Ozodi. He admitted that despite the proven innocence, he did not feel completely safe in Russia: "We'll rest for a bit. They said there is no threat, but I decided it would be better to leave Russia for a while."
