It became known that the member of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), Numondjon Sharipov (date of birth: 01.04.1962), previously detained in Istanbul by the Turkish authorities, was illegally deported to Tajikistan.
During a telephone conversation, Numondjon Sharipov’s lawyer said that on Friday, 16 February 2018, he went to the detention centre where Numondjon was held and law enforcement officials informed him that he would come again on Monday, and that until Monday no decisions will be taken.
However, on Monday, 19 February 2018, when the lawyer came again to meet with his client, he was informed that on 16 February 2018 Numondjon Sharipov, accompanied by the employee of the Tajik Consulate in Istanbul, Firdavs Holikov, and the consul himself, Mirzobeddin Safarov, was taken out of the investigation isolator, and then sent to Tajikistan at 11:00 local time by the Somon Air flight of Istanbul-Dushanbe (Somon Air owned by the brother-in-law of Tajik President Hassan Asadullozoda). At the same time, there were no documents related to the defendant’s case or decisions on his deportation provided to the lawyer.
As previously reported, Numondjon Sharipov was detained by Turkish law enforcement agencies on 5 February 2018 at around 15:00 local time in Istanbul, on Kumkapi Street, according to the so-called 87G code on the basis of Tajikistan’s request. The Tajik side accuses Numondjon Sharipov of articles 187 (2) “Organization of a criminal association (criminal organization)” and 307 “Public calls for violent change of the constitutional order of the Republic of Tajikistan” of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Tajikistan. After his arrest, he was taken to the police station Kadirga Polis, where he was until 10 February 2018. On the night of 10 February 2018, he was taken to the remand centre for temporary detention of foreign citizens of the Yabancilar subesi, in the Pendik district where he was until the illegal deportation, 16 February 2018.
Numondjon Sharipov comes from the Isfara district, Vorukh district, is married, has three sons and a four-month-old daughter. He arrived in Istanbul in July 2015, fleeing persecution of a political nature and strong pressure from law enforcement agencies of Tajikistan. In Istanbul, he started a private business selling dried fruits, opened a cafe. During his stay in Istanbul, representatives of Tajikistan’s special services in the person of the Consulate of Tajikistan in Istanbul, Firdavs Holikov, and also the consul Mirzobeddin Safarov, several times tried to recruit Numondjon Sharipov, guaranteeing him unhindered return and security in his homeland in exchange for a public statement against the IRPT leadership. Recall that the Tajik government launched a campaign against the Party after an opaque election in March 2015. Then, according to the election commission, the IRPT failed to reach the threshold for joining the parliament, and, for the first time since the 1997 peace agreement that put an end to the civil war, was excluded from parliament. Numondjon Sharipov held the position of head of the audit department in Sughd region in the Party.
Taking into consideration that in Numondjon Sharipov’s case, the established procedures, the investigation of the case and the court were not conducted, we classify this case as a kidnapping of a person by Tajik services, carried out with the assistance of the Turkish side, which is of a political nature.
The Human Rights Vision Foundation believes that Numondjon Sharipov will be subjected to serious human rights violations in Tajikistan, in particular: incommunicado detention, torture and other ill-treatment and unfair trial. As previously reported, Tajik authorities do not provide lawyers in cases of a political nature, judicial hearings against political prisoners are held in closed mode, and torture is applied to them even before the indictment is issued.
The Tajik authorities often use the practice of kidnapping people with the help of corrupt law enforcement and judicial officials. The practice of physical destruction is also used. Similarly, Umarali Kuvvatov, leader of the opposition Group 24, was first poisoned and then shot in Istanbul in 2015. Maksud Ibragimov, leader of the movement “Youth for the Renaissance of Tajikistan”, was attacked in Moscow, resulting in six stab wounds. Later he was kidnapped and taken to Tajikistan. Activists Ehson Odinayev, Abdurakhim Voseev, political figures Mahmadruzi Iskandarov, Nizhomhon Juraev, Abdulvoshi Latipov and many others were also kidnapped. The account of only known abductions goes to dozens. The last one occurred in late November 2017, when one of the former opposition leaders, Kiyomiddin Gozi, was abducted.
The Human Rights Vision Foundation calls on the international community, the UN Human Rights Committee, the OSCE, the United States, Canada, the European Union to pay close attention to the ongoing violations by law enforcement agencies of Tajikistan and Turkey. Take sanction measures against the head of the State National Security Committee of Tajikistan, Saymumin Yatimov and Tajik Interior Minister Rahimzoda Ramazon, under whose leadership abductions of Tajik citizens from foreign territories occur.
Tajikistan should unquestioningly fulfil its international obligations in the field of human rights, including the right to a fair trial; stop the practice of persecution for political and ideological reasons and immediately and unconditionally release Numondjon Sharipov.
The Human Rights Vision Foundation calls on the Turkish government to investigate the kidnapping of Numondjon Sharipov from Turkey and take appropriate measures, as well as ensure the security of foreigners being persecuted for political reasons in Turkey in accordance with the norms of international acts.
