DUSHANBE, July 7, 2015, Asia-Plus – The trial of Jamoliddin Mahmoudov, the member of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER) from the Islamic Revival Party (IRP), which was expected to begin on July 7 was postponed until July 8,  Ms. Zarafo Rahmoni, a lawyer representing Jamoliddin Mahmoudov, told Asia-Plus in an interview.  

According to her, the judge has ordered the adjournment for technical reasons.  “A certain organization has failed to answer a written inquiry by the court in time,” the lawyer said.

Chairman of the Hisor district court, Isroil Mirzozoda, is presiding over the trial.

We will recall that investigation into the criminal case of Jamoliddin Mahmoudov, was completed last month and it moved to the Supreme Court of Tajikistan on June 11 but the Supreme Court sent it for consideration to the Hisor district court on June 17.

Criminal proceedings have been instituted against Jamoliddin Mahmoudov under the provisions of Article 195 (2) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code -- illegally bearing, possessing, acquiring, storing and transporting weapons.

Jamoliddin Mahmoudov was detained on suspicion of illegal possession of weapons on February 10 this year.

The State Committee for National Security (SCNS) said on February 11 that Jamoliddin Mahmoudov was detained in Dushanbe.

The SCNS said in a statement that police found two Makarov pistols, 51 bullets and a grenade fuse in the home of Latif Sardorov, resident of the village of Chuquraki Bolo in the Hisor district.

Sardorov reportedly said that the pistols and ammunition belong to Jamoliddin Mahmoudov, who gave them to him in 1996 and asked Sardorov to keep them for him.

A court in Dushanbe’s Ismoili Somoni district ruled on February 13 that Jamoliddin Mahmoudov, can be held in detention for two months.