QURGHON TEPPA, September 28, 2014, Asia-Plus -- A military court of the Khatlon garrison has dropped criminal proceedings against six school principals from the Shahritous district, who were charged with illegal recruitment of senior school students into army ranks.

“In May 2013, 25 senior school students from the Shahritous district were illegally recruited into army ranks,” chairman of the Khatlon military court Tohir Iskandarzoda told Asia-Plus in an interview.

According to him, two jamoat (community) heads and an official with the Shahritous education department were standing trial together with the school principals.

“Criminal proceedings against the school principals were dropped under the provisions of Article 72 o Tajikistan’s Penal Code -- exemption from criminal liability in case of repentance,” Iskandarzoda said.

Meantime, Toshmurod Nourboyev, the head of the Pakhtaobod jamoat,  Abdurahim Urunov, the head of the Kholmatov jamoat, and Abdulaziz Qurbonnazarov, an official with the Shahritous education department, were found guilty of abuse of office and service fraud and were fined 14,600, 16,000 and 48 somoni respectively, the Khatlon military court chairman said.