Radio Ozodi (Azattyq Asia): Civic activist Ulfatkhonim Mamadshoeva sentenced to 21 years

Radio Ozodi / Azattyq Asia («Азаттык Азия», Радио Озоди), in a 9 December 2022 article, reports that the Supreme Court of Tajikistan has sentenced Ulfatkhonim Mamadshoeva (Ульфатхоним Мамадшоева) — a journalist and civic activist from Gorno-Badakhshan (GBAO / ГБАО) — to 21 years’ imprisonment. The article reports that informed sources told Radio Ozodi the verdict was delivered at the start of that week, that the Supreme Court has not commented, and that in August the state prosecutor had requested a 25-year sentence. The article reports that the criminal case against Mamadshoeva included eight articles of the Criminal Code, among them “public calls to overthrow the authorities,” and that Mamadshoeva herself, in an interview with Radio Ozodi and “Nastoyashchee Vremya” («Настоящее время») before her detention, said she had committed no illegal acts. The article reports that on 8 December the U.S. State Department expressed concern on Twitter over long prison terms imposed on Tajik journalists, bloggers and civic activists who had used their right to freedom of opinion, and called for open and fair trials and release of those unjustly detained. The article reports that Mamadshoeva was detained after the May events in GBAO; on 17 May Tajik authorities accused her, alongside Mamadbokir Mamadbokirov (Мамадбокир Мамадбокиров) and Alim Sherzamonov (Алим Шерзамонов), of organising protests in Khorog. The article reports that after the May events hundreds of protest participants were detained in Khorog and Rushan; several — including Tolib Ayombekov (Толиб Айёмбеков), Kholbash Kholbashev (Холбаш Холбашев) and Munavvar Shanbiev (Мунаввар Шанбиев) — received life sentences. The article provides biographical detail: Mamadshoeva is 65, graduated from Tajik State University’s Russian philology faculty, worked in Badakhshan TV/radio, founded the NGO “Zakon i Chest” (“Law and Honour” / «Закон и честь»), taught 2003–2014 at the Russian-Tajik Slavonic University, and was a member of the “Badakhshan Self-Defence Forces” (Силы самообороны Бадахшана) in the 1990s. Sources cited: Radio Ozodi internal sources, U.S. State Department, Human Rights Watch (23 August statement).