DUSHANBE, October 27, 2015, Asia-Plus – One more lawyer of the banned Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRP) has been detained in Dushanbe.

Nouriddin Mahkamov, who has been defending the IRP deputy leader Saidumar Husaini, is suspected of fraud.

According to Mahkamov’s relatives, he is currently being held at the detention center of the Interior Ministry’s office in Dushanbe’s Firdavsi district.

Nouriddin Mahkamov is the member of the Barristers’ Association “Sipar.”

We will recall that Buzurgmehr Yorov, who was defending several IRPT leading members who were arrested earlier in September on suspicion of leading a deadly mutiny by a serving deputy defense minister, was arrested on September 28.

The Interior Ministry said on September 29 that Buzurgmehr Yorov is suspected of fraud and forgery.  Criminal proceedings have been instituted against Buzurgmehr Yorov under the provisions of two articles of Tajikistan’s Penal Code: Article 140 – fraud; and Article 340 – document forgery.

In an interview with a journalist published on September 28, Buzurgmehr Yorov explained that one of his clients, the IRP deputy leader Saidumar Husaini, told him he had been beaten and that his head was covered with a bag while he was being held by the Police Unit for Combating Organized Crime.  The same police unit arrested Buzurgmehr Yorov.

The Supreme Court of Tajikistan ruled on September 29 that the IRP banned and shut down earlier this month should be included on a blacklist of extremist and terrorist organizations.  The court''s decision forces the closure of the IRP''s Najo t (Salvation) newspaper and bans the distribution of any video, audio, or printed materials related to the party''s activities.