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Detained Tajik Man Charged With High Treason, Spying


Detained Tajik Researcher Appears On TV
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WATCH: Sodikov appears on local state TV explaining what happened prior to his arrest.

A Tajik man living in Canada who was detained by Tajik security authorities in the city of Khorugh has reportedly been charged with high treason and spying.

Aleksandr Sodikov was detained in Khorugh on June 16 shortly after speaking with civil society activists, including Alim Sherzamonov.

Sherzamonov was one of the leaders of deadly May protests against police actions that targeted suspected criminals in Khorugh.

Sodikov, 31, is a Tajik national residing in Canada.

He said he has been touring Central Asia as part of his doctoral research at the University of Toronto and the University of Exeter in Britain.

Sodikov was shown on local television in Khorugh on June 18, speaking about his research work and his meeting with Sherzamonov.

Amnesty International, Freedom House, and Human Rights Watch have issued statements expressing concern over Sodikov's detention and urging Tajik authorities to provide detailed and timely information about his situation.

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