DUSHANBE , February 13, Asia-Plus - Tajikistan ’s Supreme Court has given ruling overturning verdict passed by a court in the Dushanbe district of Firdavsi on Mukhtor Boqizoda, editor-in-chief of the independent Dushanbe weekly “Nerui Sukhan” (Power of Word) and demanding review of the sentence.    

Mr. Boqizoda has told Asia-Plus that he received notification of this recently.  

As it had been reported earlier, the trial of the criminal case involving Mukhtor Boqizoda, editor-in-chief of the independent Dushanbe newspaper “Nerui Sukhan” and chairman of the Foundation for Memory and Protection of the Rights of Journalists of Tajikistan, ended in the court in the Firdavsi district of Dushanbe on August 25 2005 .  Boqizoda, who was initially charged with inflicting damage on property by fraud or abuse of trust, was sentenced to two years of correction labor and the surrender of 20 percent of his salary to the state for stealing.

The Dushanbe city court has upheld the Firdavsi district court’s verdict against Mukhtor Boqizoda.    

According to Mr. Boqizoda, as a result of criminal proceedings instituted against him and closure of his printing house “Kayhon” a damage of 800,000 Somonis has been caused to him.  “If the court will pass a verdict in favor of me, I will file suit against tax police asking for financial and moral damages,” Mukhtor Boqizoda said.