Karamkhudoyev’s mother lodges complaint about the use of torture against her son

Ms. Pokizamo Iqbolshoyeva, the mother Sherik Karamkhudoyev, the head of the Islamic Revival Party (IRP)’s organization for Khorog, has lodged complaint to President’s Executive Office, the Prosecutor-General’s Office and the Office of Human Right Ombudsman of the Republic of Tajikistan about the use of torture against her son.

In her letter, Ms. Iqbolshoyeva notes that she has applied to them because of health condition of her son, who is being held in the detention facility of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) in Dushanbe.

According to her, she was allowed to meet with her son only on September 17.  Before that, neither she nor her son’s defense lawyers were allowed to meet with Karamkhudoyev.

Ms. Iqbolshoyeva says Sherik had a bandage on his head and there were obvious signs of beating on his face.

She asked to carry out medical examination of injuries on her son’s body and allow lawyers to meet with him. 

The mother of the head of IRP’s organization for Khorog and his wife, Manizha Shabozbekova, have also applied to the Delegation of the International Committee fro Red Cross (ICRC) in Tajikistan and the OSCE Office in Tajikistan with solicitation to interfere in the situation so that Tajik law enforcement authorities would allow the lawyers to meet with Sherik Karamkhudoyev, provide necessary medical aid and ensure human treatment for him in accordance with Tajikistan’s legislation and international obligations and standards.

We will recall that Karamkhudoyev’s lawyer, Buzurgmehr Yorov, told Asia-Plus on September 11 that he has not been able to meet his client during ten days.

Buzurgmehr Yorov and Bobokhon Yoqubov, who is another lawyer of Karamkhudoyev, have lodged four applications to the investigator, chief of the operational group for the Khorog event, and Tajik chief prosecutor, asking for permission to meet their client.  The lawyers say they are not allowed to meet their client in private.

“We want to meet our client in private in order familiarize ourselves with the case materials,” Yorov noted.  He added that as far as he knows, Sherik Karamkhudoyev faces charges of organizing a criminal grouping (Article 187 of Tajikistan’s penal code) and illegally bearing, possessing, acquiring, and manufacturing weapons (Article 195).

IRP reported Sherik Karamkhudoyev as missing on July 24, when government forces launched a massive military operation in the city of Khorog, the capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).

Two weeks after his disappearance, Karamkhudoyev was revealed to be held in the detention facility of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS).  A statement released by Freedom House notes that according to a reliable report, Karamkhudoyev has been subjected to torture while in detention.

Tajik law enforcement authorities claim that Karamkhudoyev allegedly collaborated with Imomnazar Imomnazarov, who was murdered by unknown assailants in his home in Khorog on August 22.