KHUAJND, August 22, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- A regional court in Tajikistan has sentenced militant follower of mutinous Colonel Mahmoud Khudoiberdiyev to long jail term for his involvement in subversive activities in the territory of Tajikistan. 

The Sughd regional court on August 20 ruled that a 38-year-old resident of the city of Qairoqqum, Jouraboy Tursunov, be given a jail term of 14 years and that he should serve it in a high-security penal colony. 

The sentence followed his conviction on charges of organization of illegal armed formation, banditry and participation in sustainable armed group (gang), organization of criminal grouping, high treason, attempted crime, forcible seizure of power or forcible retention of power, and contempt of court.  

The reliable source in the Sughd law enforcement authorities told Asia-Plus that Tursunov, who had been wanted by police for a long time, was detained by officers from the Sughd security directorate on June 1, 2008. 

According to him, joining Khudoiberdiyev’s group, Jouraboy Tursunov took a six-month training course on fighting skills and using weapons in the territory of Uzbekistan in 2001.  “Every month, he received 5,000 somonis for committing certain subversive activities in the territory,” the source said.