On July 29, the Regional Court of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region passed a sentence against the brother of Alim Sherzamonov, an opposition figure living abroad.
Muslim Sherzamonov, 56, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for “participation in a criminal group”, although relatives say that, unlike his brother, he was not interested in politics at all and was the head of a construction company. Observers believe that he paid the price for his relationship with Alim Sherzamonov, deputy chairman of the National Alliance of Opposition Groups Abroad, who the authorities believe was one of the organizers of the May rallies in GBAO.
Back in June, the Interdepartmental Headquarters for Security and Public Order in GBAO reported that an arsenal – a Kalashnikov assault rifle, 18 cartridges for it and two F-1 grenades – was found and seized in Muslim’s own house in Khorog, after which he was detained. Sherzamonov’s relatives talk about another version – allegedly Muslim was summoned for interrogation to the local police department and from there he never returned home.
At the same time, relatives do not even know what crimes he was accused of. The lawyer was also asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Meanwhile, in early July, the European Parliament strongly condemned the repressions of the Tajik authorities against the civilian population during the suppression of protests in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.
The European Parliament also expressed serious concern about the deteriorating human rights situation in the region and called for an end to repression against the local population.
MEPs remind the Tajik authorities that the legitimate fight against terrorism and violent extremism should not be used as a pretext to crack down on opposition activities, and also remind that the fundamental freedoms of all Tajik citizens and the rule of law must be guaranteed, the European Parliament said in a statement.
