Official who criticized Bega Sabur has been released from prison

The former mayor of Kulob, Bakhram Inoyatzoda, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2020, has been released.

This was reported by Asia-Plus, citing his relatives. Another source clarified to the publication that Bakhram Inoyatzoda was released on parole and is now required to regularly check in with the police department, providing all information about himself and his place of residence.

On November 20, 2020, the Kulob zone court sentenced Bakhram Inoyatzoda to 12 years of imprisonment on six charges, including articles 314 part 2, 319 part 4 subparagraphs “a, b, c”, 245 part 2 subparagraphs “a, b, g”, 247 part 4 paragraph “b”, 338 part 1 part 2 paragraph “c”, 262 part 3 paragraph “b” of the Criminal Code of Tajikistan (fraud, abuse of power, receiving a bribe on a large scale, misappropriation of state property, illegal transactions with land, legalization of income obtained by criminal means).

The court found Inoyatzoda guilty and sentenced him to 12 years of imprisonment.

Later, in January 2021, the country’s General Prosecutor’s Office brought new charges against Inoyatzoda. This time he was accused of allegedly “illegally acquiring more than 2 million somoni” and using that money to build a personal medical clinic.

“Inoyatzoda Bakhram, from May 6, 2019, while holding the positions of acting and then chairman of the city of Kulob, abusing his official position, illegally obtained funds from 13 residents of the city as bribes for carrying out construction work in the executive body of state power of the city of Kulob, criminally misappropriated goods intended for charitable purposes, and also fraudulently acquired the property of citizens, openly receiving income through criminal means,” the General Prosecutor’s Office wrote on its official website at that time.

According to the General Prosecutor’s Office, “Inoyatzoda B., in order to conceal the origin of the funds obtained by criminal means, built a private medical center worth 2,317,994 somoni at the site of his residential house in the city of Kulob, on R. Abdushukurov Street, house 28.”

Inoyatzoda and his relatives disagreed with the verdict. At that time, Inoyatzoda’s wife told the media that her husband had dedicated 37 years of his life to public service, only to end up with a 12-year prison sentence.

Inoyatzoda held the positions of chairman of the city of Istaravshan, deputy of the Majlisi Milli, and chairman of the city of Kulob. During his tenure in Istaravshan, he became known for his controversial statements regarding religious people. He claimed that “those who go to the mosque do not come out with healthy beliefs.”

In February 2019, Inoyatzoda publicly criticized the leadership of the company “Komil-2010,” which belongs to the son of Bega Sabur, the former head of the Communications Service and a relative of the President of Tajikistan. For failing to pay state debts, Inoyatzoda referred to Bega Sabur as “Khoja Akhrori Vali,” a well-known wealthy figure from the past. Some experts and social media users expressed the belief that his arrest and imprisonment followed this sharp criticism of a relative of the president.