Russia expelled the brother of an opposition figure, despite UN recommendations

The authorities of Russia ignored the UN recommendation and deported the previously detained Asliddin Sharipov to Tajikistan.

According to sources from Azda tv, the United Nations Human Rights Committee recommended in September 2023 that the authorities of Russia not deport Asliddin Sharipov, the brother of Shavkati Muhammad, to Tajikistan. Asliddin Sharipov was detained in Russia in September 2022. 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.

On October 10, Shavkati Muhammad published an open appeal to the General Prosecutor of Tajikistan, Yusuf Rahmon, on his Facebook page, stating 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, 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 appeal to the General Prosecutor, Shavkati Muhammad rejected all the accusations made against his brother. He also denies 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 appeal, he stated that Asliddin Sharipov is innocent, his detention is illegal, and he urged the General Prosecutor to fairly consider his case.

The 36-year-old native of the Ahsht district of the Sughd region, Asliddin Sharipov, had been living and working in Russia since 2016. He was arrested in September 2022 in Nizhny Tagil at the request of the authorities of Tajikistan.

Shavkati Muhammad is the head of a television channel affiliated with the opposition – “Payom TV”.