Judge arrested for two months

Judge Rustam Saidakhmadzoda of the Bobodjon Gafurov District Court has been placed in custody for a period of two months.

Photo: Internet

Judge Rustam Saidakhmadzoda of the Bobodjon Gafurov District Court was detained on June 29 by officers of the Organized Crime Control Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

According to a relative of Saidakhmadzoda who spoke to Radio Ozodi, he is suspected of “abuse of official authority” and “knowingly false reporting of a crime,” but the judge has not admitted his guilt.

It is reported that he was detained on June 29 in Dushanbe. On July 1, a court session was held in the temporary detention facility of the Dushanbe Department of Internal Affairs, which determined the measure of restraint to place Rustam Saidakhmadzoda in custody for a period of two months.

Authorities have not yet commented on the judge’s detention.

It is reported that a presidential decree for his dismissal has not yet been issued, and Rustam Saidakhmadzoda’s name is still listed on the official website of the Bobodjon Gafurov District Court among the court staff.

Saidakhmadzoda was appointed as a judge of the Bobodjon Gafurov District Court in 2017.

Judge Rustam Saidakhmadzoda became known for issuing an acquittal in a “fraud” case on May 27. This is an extremely rare occurrence for Tajikistan, as courts very rarely issue acquittals.

The Supreme Court of Tajikistan opened an administrative case against Rustam Saidakhmadzoda on July 1, 2021, at the request of the country’s General Prosecutor’s Office. On July 9, the judge received a warning from the Supreme Court of Tajikistan. The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has called on the authorities of Tajikistan to drop the case against Judge Rustam Saidakhmadzoda.