Who Will Release Jailed Democrats?
A small opposition rally in front of the Justice Ministry in Dushanbe, two days prior to the presidential vote went almost unnoticed. In a post on the Russian section of the blog, I shared thoughts on the event and the debate that it has sparked.
Five to six young activists of opposition parties boycotting the election – Democratic Party, Social-Democratic Party and opposition wing of Socialist Party – gathered on November 4 in front of the Justice Ministry to demand that it cancels its decision to recognize Masud Sobirov as the official leader of the Democratic Party (DPT). About 20 more activists of the mentioned parties were observing the event from across the road. As soon as the opposition activists unfolded their hand-made placards, plainclothes security agents surrounded the participants, tore up the placards and evicted the activists from the place.
Immediately after the rally which had not been authorized by authorities as required by law, Tajik police detained three participants – Rajab Mirzo, head of the Dushanbe chapter of DPT, Hayriddin Gulyaev, DPT activist, and Tumur Iskandarov, younger brother of DPT’s jailed chairman Mahmadruzi Iskandarov. Within hours, they were sentenced by Dushanbe court to 15 days in jail for “public disorder and holding unauthorized rally”.
Although the three jailed participants of the rally belonged to the Iskandarov’s wing of the Democratic Party, the leadership of the party dissociated itself from participants of the rally. Fakty i Kommentarii has quoted Rahmatullo Valiev, deputy chairman of DPT, as saying that the party presidium was against the rally. Mr. Valiev insisted that the decision to hold a rally was taken by the DPT chapter in Dushanbe, headed by Rajab Mirzo, against the presidium’s resolution not do so.
While Mr. Valiev chose to distance himself from the jailed activists, Masud Sobirov, who heads the splitter wing of the party and is officially recognized by Justice Ministry as the leader of DPT, spoke in their support. In an appeal to the Dushanbe law enforcement agencies, Mr. Sobirov requested that the jailed activists be released.
“Although I acknowledge that the actions of the members of our party were illegal, it is my direct responsibility as the chairman of the party to request that Rajab Mirzo, Hayriddin Gulyaev and Tumur Iskandarov be released,” the appeal reads (Adolat, November 9, 2006, Page 1).
After 15 days in jail, activists of the Democratic Party might face a hard choice. They might have to choose between Iskandarov’s wing that abandoned them and Sobirov’s wing against which they protested and which nonetheless did at least something to release them.
on November 14th, 2006 at 8:23 am
But the guys who were arrested cannot choose Masud Sobirov. They protested against him and his recognition!
I wonder why local press did not have much to report on the event.
on November 18th, 2006 at 10:33 am
Police did a right thing when they put organizers of the protest to jail. We don’t need another war!
Good article.
on November 20th, 2006 at 6:48 am
GuRa,
First, there was not much to report about. Five persons protesting - this is not something that is going to make it to the headlines. Second, the organizers of the event informed foreign media representatives about the event, but they, for some reason, chose not to inform local press.
on November 20th, 2006 at 6:51 am
Erkin,
You say that our resolve not to have another war is a perfect justification for the authorities to clamp down on any kind of public protest, right? Do you then think that we should not enjoy any rights and freedoms simply because we had a civil war several years ago?
on November 20th, 2006 at 12:40 pm
Раджаби Мирзо освобождён из-под стражи
20.11.2006 10:22
Автор: Наргис Хамрабаева
Душанбе. 20 ноября. «Азия-Плюс» - Глава душанбинской ячейки Демократической партии Таджикистана Раджаби Мирзо накануне был освобождён из-под ареста. Как сообщил «АП» заместитель председателя партии (Демпартия Махмадрузи Искандарова) Рахматулло Валиев, вместе с ним после 15 суток нахождения под стражей освобождены ещё трое демократов – Хайриддин Гуляев, Юсуф Хотамов и Темур Тошев, задержанные 4 ноября. Все они были признаны виновными судом столичного района Шохмансур в организации пикета у здания Минюста РТ (ст. 15 Закона РТ “О собраниях, митингах, демонстрациях и мирных шествиях”).
Напомним, 4 ноября небольшая группа, состоящая из членов Демпартии Махмадрузи Искандарова, Соцпартии Мирхусейна Нарзиева и Социал-демократической партии Таджикистана собралась у министерства юстиции с единственной целью – заявить о своём несогласии с официальным признанием Демпартии под руководством Масъуда Собирова. Однако, как только они подошли к месту пикетирования, сотрудники правоохранительных органов, уже ожидающие их у Минюста, вырвали из их рук плакаты, и задержали нескольких человек. По утверждению Р. Валиева, это были неправомерные действия органов, так как пикета как такового в тот день ещё не состоялось.
Он также сообщил, что сегодня состояние здоровья освобождённых демократов стабильное. Сейчас Р. Мирзо находится у родителей в одном из районов республики, и в ближайшее время намерен продолжить партийную деятельность.