DUSHANBE, October 1, 2013, Asia-Plus:

September 2                 - The director of a coal mine in Tajikistan''s eastern district of Rasht was found mortally wounded in his office at the Nazarailoq coal mine.  An investigator in Rasht said Temirov sustained seven gunshots, including three to his head.  He was rushed to the hospital, where he died hours later;              

- According to RFE/RL, officials in Kyrgyzstan say they arrested four Tajik citizens who were wearing camouflage and carrying weapons and ammunition in southern Batken province.  Kyrgyz State Border Service spokeswoman Sajida Chokoloeva told RFE/RL that the men, who were detained on the morning of September 2, were armed with five guns, including two sniper rifles. The four have been charged with illegal border crossing and illegal hunting.  The incident takes place amid border tensions, sparked by the murders last month of five members of a Tajik family in a Tajik village located on disputed territory. Locals claim the murders were committed by ethnic Kyrgyz.  A joint Tajik-Kyrgyz investigative group has been looking into the incident.

September 9                 - A coalition of Tajik opposition groups, the Tajik Association of Reformist Forces (TARF), supported Tajik known lawyer and rights activist Oinihol Bobonazarova as their candidate for president in elections scheduled for November 6.  Tajikistan''s first female presidential candidate says that, if elected, she would lead the country only for a transition period while reforms are implemented.

September 10               - The TARF officially recognized Bobonazarova''s candidacy.

September 11               - A 37-year-old woman in Dushanbe was detained for allegedly helping recruit and send men to fight in jihadist groups.  She had reportedly helped two men wanted in Tajikistan to flee the country to join terrorist groups in Afghanistan.  Tajik authorities say both were members of the Islamic Movement of Turkestan.  Ms. Toshkhojayeva was apprehended at the Dushanbe airport with another man who is suspected of “going for jihad” to Afghanistan.  Toshkhojayeva''s husband is in an Afghan jail after being caught and sentenced for membership in a terrorist group.  Toshkhojayeva faces charges of organizing and leading an illegal group and of helping recruit Tajik citizens to fight abroad.  If convicted, she could face up to 12 years if convicted.

September 12               - Tajik known businessman, Zayd Saidov went on trial in Dushanbe.  Zayd Saidov, who is also the leader of Tajikistan''s unregistered New Tajikistan party, was arrested in May and charged with bribe-taking, abuse of office, financial fraud, extortion, polygamy, and sexual relations with a minor, among other charges.  Saidov denies any wrongdoing and says his case is politically motivated.  

September 13               - President Rahmon attended a summit of the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.  The summit reportedly focused on fostering economic development and regional security cooperation, especially regarding the situation in Afghanistan. 

September 16               - A ministerial meeting of countries involved in the CASA-1000 electricity project took place in Islamabad, Pakistan.  Representatives from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan discussed financing and environmental and social assessments related to the project.

September 16-18          - President Emomali Rahmon paid a working visit to the northern Sughd province.

September 17               - Officially registered political parties and two national social organizations are allowed to forward candidates for president;

                                    - The Islamic Revival Party held a congress in Dushanbe.  The party confirmed its support for Ms. Oynihol Bobonazarova;

                                    - The Democratic Party of Tajikistan (DPT) held its pre-election congress in Dushanbe and DPT leader Saidjaffar Ismonov was nominated to run in the 2013 presidential election, which is scheduled for November 6;

                                    - The Agrarian Party of Tajikistan (APT) held a pre-election congress and its activist Tolibbek Bukhoriyev was nominated to run in the 2013 presidential election;

                                    - The international high-level conference on development of road transport and transit potential in Central Asia for period up to 2020 took place in Dushanbe

September 18               - President Emomali Rahmon sent to parliament for ratification an agreement to extend the deployment of the Russian military base in Tajikistan.  The deal would prolong the stationing of the base in the country by nearly 40 years.  In exchange, Russia agrees to supply Tajikistan with some 1 million tons of duty-free petroleum products;

                                    - President Emomali Rahmon received Gazprom chief Alexei Miller.  The sides reportedly discussed the operations of Russia''s energy giant in Tajikistan.  Miller arrived late on September 17 for a two-day visit.  He told journalists after the talks with President Rahmon that his company is interested in obtaining more licenses to explore natural-gas fields in Tajikistan.  According to Miller, Gazprom has invested some $150 million in two major natural-gas fields in Tajikistan''s north since 2010;

                                    - The Socialist Party of Tajikistan (SPT) held a congress in Dushanbe and its leader Abduhalim Ghafforov was nominated to run in the upcoming presidential election.

September 19               - President Emomali Rahmon received the World Bank Regional Director for Central Asia Saroj Kumar Jha.  The sides reportedly discussed issues related to conducting assessment studies for the Roghun hydroelectricity project. 

September 21               - The Interior Ministry reported the arrest of a group of terrorists who were preparing to carry out attacks in the capital, Dushanbe.  The leader of the group, Alimurod Makhanov, reportedly underwent training in terrorist camps in Pakistan.  The group allegedly planned to stage attacks to disrupt a presidential election scheduled for November 6;

                                    - The Party of Economic Reforms of Tajikistan held a congress in Dushanbe on September 21 and its leader Olimjon Boboyev was nominated as presidential candidate;  

                                    - The Union of Youth of Tajikistan (UYT) held a congress in Dushanbe and its delegates unanimously supported incumbent President Rahmon as presidential candidate.

September 23               - Tajik President Emomali attended a Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit in Sochi, Russia.  The group -- which includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan – reportedly agreed to draw up a joint plan to protect Tajikistan''s border with Afghanistan;  

                                    - The Communist Party of Tajikistan (CPT) held a congress and the CPT first deputy chairman, Ismoil Talbakov, who is also member of Tajikistan’s lower chamber (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament, was nominated to run in the 2013 presidential election scheduled for November 6.

September 24               - A former director of a coal mine in Tajikistan''s eastern district of Rasht was brought to Dushanbe for questioning in connection with the shooting death of his successor on September 3.  According to RFE/RL, sources in the Nazarailoq coal mine say that police took 59-year-old Mahmadrajab Homidov along with eight men employed by the mine and three other local citizens to Dushanbe for interrogation;

                                    - The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Tajikistan (FITUT) held a congress in Dushanbe.  The congress delegates unanimously supported incumbent President Rahmon as presidential candidate.

September 25-27          - President Emomali Rahmon paid a working visit to the Rasht Valley (eastern Tajikistan). The visit took him to Rasht, Nourobod, Tojikobod, Jirgatol and Tavildara districts.

September 26               - Umarali Quvvatov, leader of the Group 24 opposition movement, wanted by Dushanbe on charges of involvement in a $1.2 million fraud case, was reportedly released from a detention center in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  Tajik authorities have been requesting Quvvatov''s extradition since his arrest in the United Arab Emirates in December 2012.

September 27               - An opposition Tajik presidential candidate, Oinihol Bobonazarova, accused the police of interfering in her campaign.  Talking to journalists in Dushanbe on September 27, Bobonazarova said 10 members of her election team -- nine of them women -- were detained by police in Dushanbe''s Firdavsi district on September 26 while collecting signatures to support her candidacy.  The 10 were released shortly after, with no explanation given;

                                    - A joint military exercise for Tajik and Kyrgyz servicemen was launched in the Tajik northern province of Sughd.  The exercise, dubbed “Zashchita-2012” (20013 Protection), reportedly involves servicemen of Tajik military units and servicemen of the mountain rifle unit of the Kyrgyz armed forces along with armored vehicles and artillery.  The purpose of the exercise that is being conducted at the Chorukhdayron training ground is to rehears coordination and interaction in missions to combat terrorists.  The war game will close on October 2 with a final phase featuring live-fire missions.

September 27-30          - An exhibition of export goods from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) took place at the Kokhi Borbad State Complex in Dushanbe.

September 30               - The Supreme Court of Tajikistan sentenced three persons, who are charged with robbing the house of Deputy Prime Minister Murodali Alimardon in the Hisor district in June 2005, to long jail terms.  Umed Nasriddinov, Zayniddin Samadov and Dilshod Mirzoyev were sentenced between 22 and 24 years in prison.  The sentence followed their conviction on charges of murder (Article 104 of Tajikistan’s Penal Code), abduction of persons (Article 130), illegal possession of weapons (Article 195), robbery (Article 249), and property embezzlement (Article 254).