Buzurgmehr Yorov has been placed in a punishment isolation cell again

The head of the “Buzurgmehr” Foundation, Jamshid Yorov, told Azda TV that the prison administration placed his brother, convicted Tajik lawyer Buzurgmehr Yorov, in a punishment cell or “punishment isolation” in the pre-trial detention center in Dushanbe 5-6 days ago. The administration reported that he would be transferred to a regular cell on May 15.

The reason for the lawyer’s placement in the punishment cell is unknown. His lawyer also did not provide any information to his relatives.

“Perhaps the reason for Buzurgmehr Yorov’s punishment was his published letter, in which he exposed the crimes of the prison administration. This was the only way to inform the public about his case and the crimes of the administration of the correctional colony YS 3/1 in Vahdat,” Jamshid Yorov said.

As usual, the authorities did not comment on this report.

Earlier, on November 24, Buzurgmehr Yorov was transferred to a closed-type colony with a particularly strict regime, known as “the covered one.”

A month ago, the lawyer’s relatives reported that the Investigative Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan had initiated yet another, already the fourth criminal case against Yorov. Later, at Buzurgmehr Yorov’s request, he was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1.

Buzurgmehr Yorov wrote in a letter from the colony that a fourth criminal case had been opened against him on charges of fraud and stated that all accusations were fabricated.

In his letter, the political prisoner reported that the criminal case was initiated based on a complaint from inmate Hasan Hasanov. The complaint alleges that Buzurgmehr Yorov and his relatives allegedly received 42,400 somoni (over $4,000) for providing legal services and securing Hasanov’s release from prison.

Buzurgmehr Yorov requested the investigators to arrange a confrontation with Hasan Hasanov, as well as to allow his close relatives to participate in investigative activities as witnesses. The investigative authorities denied him this request.

One of the employees of the Investigative Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan told Radio Ozodi by phone on May 4 that the criminal case is classified as “secret” and he is not authorized to disclose details of the case.

Jamshid Yorov, a lawyer and brother of Buzurgmehr Yorov, says that there is no need to classify the materials of the criminal case on fraud as “secret.”

Noted Tajik human rights defender and political prisoner Buzurgmehr Yorov was arrested on September 28, 2015, when he took on the defense of members of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan in court. He was charged with various offenses, including fraud, forgery of documents, and insulting the president. The court sentenced him to 28 years in prison. The human rights defender and his supporters rejected the charges and called the court ruling politically motivated.

Western countries and several international organizations have repeatedly called on the authorities of Tajikistan to release Buzurgmehr Yorov from prison. However, the country’s authorities have not once taken into account the demands of international organizations.