Tajikistan: MIA accused the mother of Tajik blogger of extremism
Shokhida Makhmadzhonova, the mother of Tajik blogger Sherzod Makhmadzhonov, has been prosecuted under Article 307 note 3 of the Criminal Code of Tajikistan “Participation in the activities of an extremist organization”.
This was announced on the evening of February 8 by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the country, posting a short information on its official website.
Sherzod Makhmadzhonov told journalists on February 4 that in January his mother was twice summoned to the Regional Department of the Organized Crime Control Department for the city of Vakhdat. The OCCD officers demanded Makhmadzhonova that by any means she would force Sherzod to return to Dushanbe and “repent” before the authorities, and then he would allegedly be amnestied. “But I am not a criminal and have not committed any crimes,” Sherzod said then.
The young blogger is known for his criticism of the authorities of Tajikistan for their persecution of women wearing Muslim headdresses, as well as for men wearing beards. However, the message of the Ministry of Internal Affairs says, “The son of the detainee, Sherzod Makhmadzhonov, is not a blogger or oppositionist, but is wanted for committing crimes of an extremist-terrorist nature.”
After the disappearance of his wife, the husband of Shokhida Makhmadzhonova turned to the local police department and other law enforcement agencies, but he was told that his wife was not there. Other relatives, human rights organizations joined in the search. And now, after 5 days, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reports that Makhmadzhonova “was taken under preliminary detention”.
The Ministry’s report doesn’t say how Makhmadzhonova became involved in organizing extremist activities or why she was detained.
The civil society coalition against torture and impunity in Tajikistan, to which the husband of Shokhida Makhmadzhonova turned for legal assistance, provided a lawyer who has already started work. Human rights activists note that, in accordance with the current legislation, law enforcement agencies have the right to detain citizens in pre-trial order for a period of only up to 72 hours. After that, either a court order must be adopted on the choice of a preventive measure in the form of detention in respect of the suspect or accused, or the detainee must be released. However, in this case, the authorities reported the woman’s detention five days later.
