Russian Authorities Arrest Tajik Activist At Dushanbe's Request

Tajik activist Junaidullo Khudoyorov (file photo)

Russian authorities have arrested Tajik activist Junaidullo Khudoyorov at Tajikistan's request, his brother told RFE/RL on June 25, adding that the activist may face illegal incarceration and arbitrary prosecution if extradited to Dushanbe. Khudoyorov is wanted in Tajikistan on a hooliganism charge, which he denies. In 2017, he was sentenced to five years in prison for having links with the Salafi Islamic movement. He was released less than two years later after the government announced a mass amnesty. Several Tajik activists extradited to Tajikistan from Russia in recent years have been given lengthy prison terms that rights groups call politically motivated. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Tajik Service, click here.