Freedom Now called for all charges against Yurov to be dropped and for his unconditional release

The international human rights organization Freedom Now, in a statement published on July 19, 2023, called for all charges against Buzurgmehr Yorov to be dropped and for his immediate and unconditional release from prison.

The human rights organization strongly condemned the sentence handed down to Buzurgmehr Yorov on July 10, which added another ten years of imprisonment on charges of alleged fraud.

In its statement, Freedom Now noted that the details of the charges are unclear, “as the trial was largely closed to the public, took place in the pre-trial detention center where Yorov is held, and little evidence was presented to substantiate the charges.”

Arbitrary extensions of prison sentences are common practice in Central Asia, experts from the organization noted. “Prisoners convicted on politically motivated charges often become victims of additional prison terms, as authorities use false accusations based on vague laws to silence and intimidate those who criticize the horrific, life-threatening conditions in prisons,” the statement said.

Experts from Freedom Now emphasized that Yorov’s unlawful imprisonment poses a serious threat to the independence of the judiciary, human rights, and democracy in Tajikistan.

“Freedom Now is deeply concerned about Yorov’s safety and health and respectfully calls on the government of Tajikistan:

– To immediately and unconditionally release Yorov;

— To ensure his safety and health in accordance with international standards,” the statement noted.

On July 10, the court in Vahdat found the well-known lawyer Buzurgmehr Yorov guilty of “large-scale fraud” and added another 10 years to his prison sentence. The trial took place in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Dushanbe. Authorities did not allow relatives of the political prisoner to attend the trial. Yorov himself rejected the authorities’ accusations in previous court hearings.

Jamshed Yorov, head of the “Buzurgmehr” foundation and brother of the convicted lawyer Buzurgmehr Yorov, told Azda TV that the sentence was fabricated and cruel. According to him, the trial was held behind closed doors, and Yorov did not have access to a lawyer.

A new case was initiated based on a statement from a prisoner in Vahdat colony, Hasan Hasanov. He claimed that Buzurgmehr Yorov received 42,500 somoni (over $4,000) for providing legal services but did nothing. Buzurgmehr Yorov denied receiving any money and called Hasanov’s statement “another slander.”

Relatives of Buzurgmehr Yorov called these accusations politically motivated. According to them, Yorov’s case, like the cases of all opponents of the Rahmon regime or civil society activists, was fabricated in an atmosphere of lies, secrecy, using pressure and torture against suspects, witnesses, and their relatives.