Brother of the opposition figure sentenced to 12 years in prison

The authorities of Tajikistan are retaliating against opposition activists by imprisoning their close relatives for long terms. 

The court of the city of Khujand sentenced Asliddin Sharipov, the brother of Shavkati Muhammad, one of the activists of the Tajik opposition, to 12 years in prison.

According to Radio Ozodi, citing its sources, the trial took place in the court of Khujand, and the verdict against him was announced back in March of this year. However, even his relatives were not aware of this until now.

According to sources from Radio Ozodi, he was accused of “collaborating with a banned organization and promoting its activities on the internet.”

One of Asliddin Sharipov’s friends told Radio Ozodi on the condition of anonymity that Asliddin has already been transferred from the Khujand detention center to one of the colonies in Dushanbe.

The 37-year-old Asliddin Sharipov was detained in September 2022 in Russia at the request of Tajikistan. In October 2023, he was extradited to Tajikistan. He had been wanted in Tajikistan since 2021.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee called on the Russian authorities in September 2023 not to deport Asliddin Sharipov to Tajikistan. However, the General Prosecutor’s Office of Russia ignored the recommendation of the UN Human Rights Committee and decided to hand him over to the law enforcement agencies of Tajikistan. On October 1, Asliddin Sharipov was deported.

Asliddin Sharipov is the biological brother of Shavkati Muhammad, a journalist and anchor of a television channel affiliated with the opposition National Alliance of Tajikistan. This television channel is based in Europe and is known for its critical reports on the policies of the Tajik government and coverage of the human rights crisis in the country.

Shavkati Muhammad also sharply criticizes the policies of the Tajik authorities on social media.

Previously, Shavkati Muhammad stated that his brother Asliddin Sharipov “has never been a member of any political parties or organizations and has never engaged in political activities. Also, on social media, he has never engaged in political activities or collaborated with political activists.”

According to Shavkati Muhammad, his brother was detained as a form of retaliation for his opposition and political activities.

On October 10, Shavkati Muhammad published an open letter on his Facebook page addressed to the General Prosecutor of Tajikistan, Yusuf Rahmon, stating that the Prosecutor’s Office of the Sughd region accused his brother of extremism and terrorism, initiated a criminal case under part 2 of Article 307/3 of the Criminal Code of Tajikistan, and declared him wanted in December 2021.

In his open letter to the General Prosecutor, Shavkati Muhammad rejected all the accusations made against his brother. He also denied that his brother was a member of “Group 24” and the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan, that he disseminated terrorist materials on his Facebook page, and called all these accusations slander.

In his open address, he stated that Sharipov Asliddin is not guilty of anything, his detention is illegal, and he called on the Attorney General to fairly consider his case.

However, the authorities have not yet officially commented on Asliddin Sharipov’s case and have not responded to the appeals from his brother and international organizations, nor have they disclosed the reason for his detention or the whereabouts of Asliddin Sharipov.