QURGHON TEPPA, August 1, Asia-Plus - A trial of 12 inmates of the Qurghon Teppa jail charged with being involved in unrest in a Qurghon Teppa jail last year, and four wardens of the prison finished yesterday.  

The Khatlon regional court sentenced one of those 12 prisoners, Bahodour Abdulmajidov, to 29 years in prison.  The sentence followed his conviction on charges masterminding the last year’s unrest in the Qurghon Teppa jail.  The court’s ruling was nearly identical to the prosecution’s earlier demand for a 30-year prison term for him.     

Ten other inmates charged with being involved the jail unrest were also sentenced to length prison terms, ranging from 19 to 25 years.  Thus, Ahliddin Jumaboyev was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment, Mahkamtosh Gadoyev, Bahrom Sharipov and Rustam Zaripov to 24 years’ imprisonment each, Jamoliddin Boboyev to 22 years’ imprisonment, Rahmatullo Davlatov to 21 years’ imprisonment, Nabijon Ahmadov to 20? years’ imprisonment, Asadbek Shodmonbekov to 19? years’ imprisonment, and Alisher Halimov to 19 years imprisonment.  Jobir Karimov, who is participant of the cleanup operation at the Chernobyl nuclear power station, was sentenced to seven years in prison, and Tojiddin Zayniddinov (invalid) was given six years in prison.  

Four wardens of the Khatlon prison charged with negligence were sentenced to three years in prison each.  

Defense lawyer of Bahodour Abdulmajidov has told Asia-Plus that they will appeal against the courts’ ruling.  

Bahodour Abdulmajidov telling the trial asked for permission to meet with journalists.  The judge permitted, but the prison’s administration did not allowed the inmates to speak to journalists, and asked journalists to leave the prison’s territory.        

We will recall that a regional court in Khatlon started the consideration of criminal proceedings instituted against 16, including four wardens of the prison, over unrest that took place in the Qurghon Teppa jail in August last year on May 24.  The inmates faced charges of impeding activity of penitentiary, disorganization of the prison’s activity and participation in a criminal grouping.  The trial was held in the building of the Qurghon Teppa jail.    

The Qurghon Teppa jail’s inmates stirred up a mutiny in early August last year protesting against poor prison conditions.  Police quelled the unrest in several hours.  The Khatlon prosecutor’s office instituted criminal proceedings to probe the jail unrest.