Asia-Plus: Омбудсмен осуждённые по госперевороту нам не жаловались

Asia-Plus article dated 5 August 2025 reporting that relatives and defenders of the nine people convicted in the “coup case” have not approached Tajikistan’s Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman), and accordingly no meetings have taken place in the penal colonies. The article reports Ombudsman Умед Бобозода (Umed Bobozoda) stated at a 4 August press conference that if relatives or defenders submitted complaints against the verdict, the Ombudsman would be prepared to review them and approach the court; he said that in future, his institute’s staff would inquire about the condition of the nine when visiting prisons, but prison meetings can address only conditions of detention, not the verdict. The article lists the 5 February 2025 sentences handed down to: Хамрохон Зарифи (Hamrokhon Zarifi) — 27 years; Саидджафар Усмонзода (Saidjafar Usmonzoda) — 27 years; Джамшед Бобоев (Jamshed Boboyev) — 21 years; Ахмадшох Комилзода (Akhmadshoh Komilzoda) — 19 years; Акбаршох Искандаров (Akbarshoh Iskandarov) — 18 years; Шокирджон Хакимов (Shokirjon Hakimov) — 18 years; Нурахмад Ганизода (Nurakhmad Ganizoda) — 18 years; Абдулфайз Атои (Abdulfayz Atoi) — 17 years; Рухшона Хакимова (Rukhshona Hakimova) — 8 years. The article reports that according to relatives and lawyers, Shokirjon and Rukhshona Hakimov did not admit guilt and others called the charges unfounded. The article reports Supreme Court chair Рустам Мирзозода (Rustam Mirzozoda) stated at a 13 February press conference that Tajik law does not provide postponement of punishment for “especially grave crimes”; Khakimova’s lawyer said on 18 February he would appeal to cassation and seek conditional non-application of punishment under Article 71. The article quotes two anonymous relatives who said appeals to the Ombudsman would be pointless and that their imprisoned family members reported no complaints about prison conditions. The article also recaps the arrests’ chronology beginning June 2024 with Usmonzoda’s detention under Article 306 part 2(v) as reported by Prosecutor General Юсуф Рахмон (Yusuf Rahmon). Sources cited in the article: press conferences by the Ombudsman and Supreme Court, interviews with relatives, Radio Ozodi.