Wikipedia: Zayd Saidov

The report states that Zayd Sherovich Saidov (born 20 March 1958) is a Tajik businessman and politician who served as Tajikistan’s Industry Minister from 2002 to 2007 and later founded the opposition party “New Tajikistan.” According to the report, Saidov was a member of the opposition during the 1992-1997 Tajikistani Civil War and took up a ministerial post through a power-sharing agreement, maintaining close working ties with President Rahmon. The report records that after leaving office he built an extensive business empire in real estate, construction, jewellery and textiles. On 6 April 2013 he announced plans to establish New Tajikistan, centred on economic reforms, after which, the report states, a government-backed campaign of denigration and threats followed; he was arrested on 19 May 2013 on his return from Paris and on 25 December 2013 sentenced to 26 years in prison for alleged financial fraud, polygamy and sexual relations with a minor. The report notes that all his companies and properties were confiscated and an additional three years were later added for forgery, embezzlement, abuse of office and tax evasion, bringing his total sentence to 29 years. The report adds that his defence lawyer Shukhrat Kudratov was himself jailed for nine years in January 2015, and that in July 2018 the UN Human Rights Committee found his trial violated international law and called for his release.