Tajikistan: Another charge is brought against a convicted human rights activist
A well-known human rights activist, Izzat Amon, who was sentenced last October by the Tajik court to nine years in prison, has been charged with new fraud.
This time, a certain resident of Bokhtar, whose name wasn’t disclosed, turned to law enforcement agencies with a complaint that in 2009, while in Russia, he turned to Izzat Amon with a request to provide the services of a lawyer. He allegedly demanded $9,000, but didn’t provide a legal service and didn’t return the money.
It’s worth recalling that quite recently, 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 under the Ministry of Internal Affairs informed.
A new episode of $9,000 is being investigated as part of this criminal case.
“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 debt of $10,000 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 that it can go on forever.
It’s worth recalling that earlier 12 people filed applications against Izzat Amon, who 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 a legal assistance and didn’t return the money.
Izzat Amon was deported from Russia in March last year and upon arrival he was immediately detained on charges of fraud on an especially large scale. 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).
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.
