DUSHANBE, April 25, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- The Islamic Revival Party leader Muhiddin Kabiri, who is also member of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament), has reportedly assumed the financing of construction of a new house for the Raqibov family in Fayzobod district.

IRP’s headquarters in Dushanbe say Kabiri visited Fayzobod last Saturday to get acquainted with the latest situation regarding the demolition of the residential building of the Raqibov family in the district.

“He met with senior representatives from local authorities and noted that the current situation round the demolition of Raqibov’s house has resulted from negligence of a number of local officials,” the source noted.

According to him, IRP leader has assumed the financing of construction of a new house for the Raqibov family and local authorities have also expressed readiness to participate in the construction of the new house for the Raqibov family.

Visitors of the Asia-Plus website have called for providing help to the Raqibov family and people have begun to apply to the Asia-Pus office following that call.  On Saturday, the Asia-Plus correspondent visited the Zarkamar village to hand over 1,500 somoni and children’s clothing collected by commentators for the Raqibov family.

We will recall that resident of Fayzobod district Atovullo Raqibov, who faces charge of hooliganism after failed attempts to defend his house, is currently being held at the pretrial detention facility in Dushanbe.  The trial of Atovullo Raqibov began in a court of Fayzobod district on March 16.  His wife and two his sisters are also in the dock.  Atovullo Raqibov faces charges of hooliganism.  Representative of the Prosecutor-General’s Office said that on September 14, 2010, Atovullo Raqibov prevented activities of the commission that was set up for full demolition of his house.  The Fayzobod police department instituted the case following an application by an excavator operator who said that Raqibov allegedly broke the excavator’s glass as a protest against demolition of his house.

The Raqibov family was left practically homeless as their house was demolished in July 2009 and only one structure consisting of one room remained, in which Atovullo and his family lived.

On January 17, 2011, Atovullo Raqibov and his family gathered outside the Ombudsman’s office in Dushanbe.  He told Asia-Plus on the same day that the house was demolished, though the family had all necessary documents, including the certificate of land use right.  According to him, they went through all instances but failed to find solution to the problem.

It is to be noted that the criminal case instituted against Raqibov in September 2010 was then suspended and it was resumed only in January this year when Atovullo Raqibov began haunting officials’ thresholds in Dushanbe in search of truth and justice.