KHUJAND, Tajikistan -- The prosecutor in a high-profile trial in Tajikistan has asked a court to convict and sentence journalist Khurshed Fozilov to 7 1/2 years in prison on a charge of involvement in the activities of a banned group.
Fozilov's relatives told RFE/RL that the prosecutor made the request on the first day of the trial as it opened in the northern city of Khujand on May 25.
Fozilov has maintained his innocence since he was arrested in early March.
The 37-year-old father of three is a freelance journalist who has cooperated with several independent media outlets, including the website Akhbor, which is based outside the country.
He often covered social issues and problems faced by ordinary people in the northern Sughd region and was critical of the local government. He has been very active on social media as well.
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, who has ruled the Central Asian country for almost 30 years, has been criticized by international human rights groups over his administration's alleged disregard for independent media, religious freedom, civil society, and political pluralism in the tightly controlled former Soviet republic.
Last year, seven Tajik journalists and bloggers were jailed for terms ranging from seven to 21 years on charges of spreading false information, involvement in activities of extremist groups, and cooperation with banned organizations.
The journalists, their supporters, and human rights groups have called the charges trumped-up and politically motivated.
International human rights groups, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and governments of the United States and European Union have called on the Tajik government to drop all charges against the journalists and release them.
Tajikistan was ranked 152nd in Reporters Without Borders' 2022 World Press Freedom Index, and designated "not free" in Freedom House's 2022 Global Freedom Status, with a score of 8 out of 100.