Well-known human rights activist Izzat Amon, who was sentenced last October to 9 years in prison, was given another 6 years on a new charge of major fraud.
The verdict was announced on June 6 in the court of Sino district of the capital in the presence of the convict’s relatives and his lawyer. Izzat Amon’s relatives stated that they wanted to hand over the money to the complainant in court in the presence of the judge and prosecutor, but the judge quickly read out the verdict and didn’t ask the complainant’s opinion.
Now the relatives of Izzat Amon intend to appeal against the verdict of the court.
In March of this year, a new criminal case was initiated against the human rights activist. Law enforcement authorities accused him of major fraud in the amount of $10,000. “A resident of the city of Bokhtar, Nurullo Vohidov, filed a complaint against Izzat Amon, who stated that the convict hadn’t yet returned $10,000 to him. In connection with the initiation of a new criminal case, Izzat Amon was transferred from the colony to the pre-trial detention center,” the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs said at the time.
It looks like Izzat Amon’s case gets more complicated every month. In April, a certain resident of Bokhtar, whose name wasn’t disclosed, turned to law enforcement agencies with a complaint that in 2009, being in Russia, he turned to Izzat Amon with a request to provide the services of a lawyer. He allegedly demanded $9,000, but the legal service wasn’t provided and he didn’t return the money.
“In accordance with Article 247 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Tajikistan, part 4, fraud on an especially large scale is punishable by a fine in the amount of 125,400 somoni ($1 = 12.5 somoni) or imprisonment for a period of 8 to 12 years,” says lawyer Jamshed Bobokalonov. “But if the damage is fully repaid, then on the basis of Article 5 of the Law of the Republic of Tajikistan “On amnesty”, adopted on September 6, 2021, the criminal proceedings should be terminated.”
Izzat Amon’s family considers the new criminal case fabricated, since, according to them, they fully repaid the $10,000 debt back in 2010. According to them, the complaint of Nurullo Vohidov was received by the Ministry of Internal Affairs immediately after the relatives of Izzat Amon compensated the damage to the last applicant (a resident of Jaihun district) in the amount of 232 somoni (about $20). But it seems that the authorities initiate the emergence of new facts of fraud exactly at the moment when the relatives of the human rights activist compensate the last amount of damage and intend to seek a review of the case. Some experts believe this can go on indefinitely.
Earlier, 12 people filed complaints against Izzat Amon. They claimed that in the period from 2014 to 2020 they gave him money for exemption from criminal liability, temporary registration and annulment of the court decision on deportation, but the human rights activist didn’t provide legal assistance and didn’t return them the money.
Izzat Amon was deported from Russia in March last year and upon arrival he was immediately detained on charges of major fraud. The relatives of the human rights activist tried to compensate for the damage caused to the applicants, but they failed to find one of them (a resident of Jaihun district) before the trial and return him 232 somoni (about $20).
The relatives and friends of Izzat Amon consider the case politically motivated. He has repeatedly criticized the government of Tajikistan for its inability to protect the rights of its citizens in Russia and blunders in managing the country’s economy.
