The Tajik prosecutor general office initiated a criminal case against Dodjon Atovullo, a well-known Tajik journalist living in emigration in Russia

The Tajik Interior Ministry’s Organized Crime Control Unit stated that “…the editor of the Charogi Rouz (Daylight) newspaper has been publishing articles containing insulting accusations against the President and members of the government”. Dodojon Atovullo, a 53-year old journalist is also accused of “public appeals to violent overthrow of the constitutional order in Tajikistan”.

The Russian newspaper Vremia Novostei has published an article about Atovullo, a graduate of the Moscow State University. Since 1992, he has been living in exile abroad. He works mainly in Moscow, where he publishes – although irregularly – an opposition newspaper Charogi Rouz (the outlet initially was published in Dushanbe in 1991).

Allegedly, the main Atovullo’s adversary is Bobojon Bobokhonov, prosecutor general of Tajikistan. In February 2007, Atovullo declared himself the leader of the Vatandor (Patriot) opposition movement.

Atovullo told Russian journalists that “the initiation of the criminal against him has become possible after the meeting between the Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon and the head of the Kremlin administration Sergey Naryshkin alst week”. Atovullo asserts that last year, when Naryshkin was the vice-premier of the Russian government, Rakhmon was complaining to him during his visit to Dushanbe. Allegedly, the issue of extradition of Atovullo was discussed on the level of the Russian Security Council. However, Moscow did not respond on that request.

The Russian media speculates that after the recent development in Caucasus, Moscow has changed its stance on “possible extradition of the Tajik oppositionist” since the Tajik President has made no public statements in support of the Russian operation against Georgia and acknowledgment of independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The Russian media also say that Atovullo is facing a 25-year term, and the intentions of the tajik authorities this time are quite serious. In 2001, the journalist was detained in Moscow by the Russian law enforcement agencies upon the request from Dushanbe. A couple of days later, he was released, and the Russian prosecutor general’s office refused to extradite him. Later, the Tajik prosecutor general closed the case against Atovullo.

Allegedly, the new case is related to Atovullo’s recent calling to overthrow the incumbent President Emomali Rakhmon by means of actions of civil disobedience. According to Atovullo, Tajikistan is degrading under the current Rakhmon’s regime. After these statements made by Atovullo at the press conference held in Moscow in June 2008, the Tajik prosecutor general Bobojon Bobokhonov called the journalist “a criminal and information terrorist”. The official promised that his agency will take all efforts to detain the oppositionist regardless of where he is.

Atovullo has always expressed concern and even fear about the attitude of the Russian authorities’ attitude to his activities and statements against Rakhmon’s regime. He used to say that “the Russian authorities have “given me up” in exchange for some business preferences; otherwise, why would they call up a pompous press conference in Dushanbe declaring the initiation of a case against me?”

The oppositionist is confident that Dushanbe has received “consent” from Moscow for his “neutralization”. If Atovullo’s allegations are correct, the Tajik special services need only a “go-ahead’ from Moscow to carry out an operation on his detention in Russia.

A similar case occurred in 2005, when Makhmadruzi Iskandarov, the leader of the Tajik opposition Democratic party was detained in the Korolyov city near Moscow and clandestinely deported to Dushanbe.

NANSMIT