DUSHANBE, August 3, 2016, Asia-Plus -- Abubakr Azizkhojayev, the director of “Durnamo” Company, has been sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison.

Firouz Sultonzod, a spokesman for the court tin Dushanbe’s Ismoili Somoni district, says the sentence followed his conviction on charges of inciting national, racial, ethnic or religious enmity (Article 189 of Tajikistan’s Penal Code).

Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service , locally known as Ozodi , reports that Abubakr Azizkhojayev was arrested on February 26, 2016.  In early Aril, he was reportedly placed in the forensic examination department of the psychiatric hospital in the Roudaki district.

At that time officials said that Azizkhojayev felt himself very band from a mental point of view.  The last five years before he was arrested, Azizkhojayev had been at law with different people and companies and complained about unfair consideration of his suits.

His relatives say ex-companions and partners of Abubakr probably handed him over to the law enforcement authorities in order to get rid of his suits.  

Abubakr Azizkhojayev first made headlines at the end of the 80s wehn he, successful businessman and civil activist, donated 50,000 rubles to the Tajik Language Foudnation in 1989.   He became famous for printing special pamphlets.  In 2008, he granted 5,000 USD to Beijing Olympic silver medalist Yusuf Abdusalomov (free style wrestling) and 3,000 USD to known Tajik judoka Rasoul Boqiyev.