DUSHANBE, September 16, Asia-Plus  -- In 2007, the Supreme Court of Tajikistan sentenced three Uzbek nationals to long prison terms for spying for Uzbekistan, Nusratullo Abdulloyev, chairman of Tajikistan’s Supreme Court, announced at après conference in Dushanbe on April 16.   

“Besides, 53 cases of Chinese, Afghan, Uzbek and Kyrgyz citizens’ illegally crossing into Tajikistan were registered last year,” Mr. Abdulloyev said.   

He also noted that the Supreme Court last year passed eight sentences of life imprisonment..   

In the meantime, the Supreme Court head refrained from commenting on sentence passed by the Supreme Court on Marouf Orifov, the director general of the Dushanbe company M&P, who had got a jail term of eight years and six months for bribe giving and tax evasion.  

The judge noted that the sentence has not yet taken effect.  “Moreover, Orifov’s defense lawyers have lodged an appeal to the appeals board of the Supreme Court; therefore, I do not have the right to comment anything,” Abdulloyev said.