Asia-Plus: ВС начал кассацию госпереворот

Asia-Plus article dated 1 April 2025 reporting that Tajikistan’s Supreme Court began reviewing the cassation appeal in the “coup case” that day at the Dushanbe SIZO. The article reports the cassation hearing began at 10:00; the Supreme Court press centre confirmed all convicted defendants and their lawyers were present, while relatives were not allowed in the courtroom. The article reports that on 20 February the Supreme Court had confirmed to Asia-Plus that all nine defendants had filed cassation appeals. The article lists the nine sentences from 5 February 2025: Хамрохон Зарифи (Hamrokhon Zarifi), former Minister of Foreign Affairs — 27 years with confiscation of property; Саиджафар Усмонзода (Saidjafar Usmonzoda), ex-chair of the Democratic Party and former MP — 27 years with confiscation; Джамшед Бобоев (Jamshed Boboyev), retired colonel of security services — 21 years; Ахмадшо Комилзода (Akhmadsho Komilzoda), journalist and former deputy chair of the Democratic Party — 19 years; Акбаршо Искандаров (Akbarsho Iskandarov), former chair of the Supreme Council — 18 years with partial confiscation; Шокирджон Хакимов (Shokirjon Hakimov), lawyer and first deputy chair of the Social-Democratic Party — 18 years; Нурахмад Ганизода (Nurakhmad Ganizoda), retired colonel of security services — 18 years; Абдулфаёз Атои (Abdulfayoz Atoi), former head of an MFA department — 17 years; Рухшона Хакимова (Rukhshona Hakimova), journalist and niece of Shokirjon Hakimov — 8 years. The article reports arrests began in June 2024 with Усмонзода’s detention; Prosecutor General Юсуф Рахмон (Yusuf Rahmon) announced the case on 14 June under Article 306 part 2(v) of the Criminal Code (violent seizure of power). Those subsequently detained: Iskandarov, Komilzoda, Zarifi, Hakimov, Atoi, Ganizoda, Boboyev. Хакимова was investigated while remaining at liberty due to her infant and was taken into custody after the verdict. The first hearing took place on 14 November 2024; proceedings lasted more than six months behind closed doors in SIZO. Sources cited in the article: Supreme Court press centre, Asia-Plus sources familiar with the process.