Asia-Plus: Convicts in 'coup case' Usmonzoda, Iskandarov and Hakimov transferred to Vahdat colony

Asia-Plus reports on 16 May 2025 that three political figures convicted in the “treason case” — Saidjafar Usmonzoda (Саидджафар Усмонзода), former chairman of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan and former MP; Akbarsho Iskandarov (Акбаршо Искандаров), former chairman of the Supreme Council of Tajikistan; and Shokirjon Hakimov (Шокирджон Хакимов), lawyer and first deputy chairman of the Social-Democratic Party of Tajikistan — were transferred on 15 May 2025 from Dushanbe pre-trial detention to colony 3/1 in Vahdat. The article reports that Asia-Plus obtained a copy of the list of transferees and that a relative of the convicts also confirmed the transfer; the article notes authorities did not officially announce the move. According to the article, Rukhshona Hakimova (Рухшона Хакимова), a young journalist and mother of two, had been transferred earlier, on 22 April, to the women’s colony in Nurek. Per Radio Ozodi cited in the piece, former foreign minister Hamrohon Zarifi (Хамрохон Зарифи) and two other convicts were transferred from pre-trial detention to a colony on 8 May; the identities of the two others and the destination colony remain unreported. The article reports the arrests of prominent political figures began in June 2024 with the detention of Usmonzoda, whom the Prosecutor General accused of an attempted coup d’état, and that subsequent arrests included Iskandarov, Akhmadshoh Komilzoda, Zarifi, Hakimov, Abdulfayz Atoi, Nurahmad Ganizoda and Jamshed Boboev. The article reports hearings were held inside Dushanbe pre-trial detention without relatives or media, the verdict was announced on 5 February 2025, and the appeal court upheld the first-instance ruling. Sources cited: Asia-Plus’s own reporting, a family member, Radio Ozodi.