Ibragimov, Maksud
Seven associates also arrested in Moscow, Samara and Novosibirsk; Three arrested in Dushanbe; Tajik officials deny they are linked to Ibragimov (Tojnews, 2015)
Who, Why and How exiled: In Russia Ibragimov established the movement ‘Youth for the Revival of Tajikistan’ in October 2014. He is also a member of the governing Council of an opposition coalition ‘New Tajikistan’, which includes the ‘Group 24’. The movement called for peaceful protests to be held in Dushanbe on 10th October 2014 (Ferghana news, 2015).
Stage 1 details (accusations/ charges/ Interpol notice/ extradition requests): Tajikistan’s Supreme Court pronounced ‘Group 24’ an ‘extremist organisation’ and banned its activities in Tajikistan in October 2014. The Tajik authorities also stated that suspected ‘Group 24’ members had been added to the international wanted list. Furthermore, the authorities banned the 'Youth for the Revival of Tajikistan' on the 7th October and requested Ibragimov's extradition from Russia. (Amnesty International, 2015).
Stage 2 details (arrest/ detention/ extradition): Russia's authorities arrested Ibragimov on the 9th October, but the Russian court denied Tajikistan's request and he was freed on October 11, 2014. However human rights activist Nadezhda Atayeva claimed the Russian authorities then forced Ibragimov to relinquish his citizenship, which he was stripped of in December 2014. On 20 January 2015, Ibragimov was arrested by Russian authorities again and immediately extradited to Tajikistan (Lemon, 2015; Ferghana news, 2015).
Stage 3 details (attack/ abduction/ rendition/ torture/ assassination/ death): Whilst in Moscow two assailants attacked and shot at Ibragimov and he was left with six knife wounds on the 26 November 2014. The attack took place in the Tsaritsyno Southern administrative district of the capital (Amnesty International, 2015). In January 2015, he was kidnapped from Moscow and sent to Tajikistan. He has been sentenced to 13 years in prison (Ferghana news, 2015).
Legal status (refugee/ asylum seeker/ resident): In 2004, Ibragimov gave up his Tajik nationality and received a Russian passport. For more than 10 years he was living in Russia (Ferghana news, 2015). In December, 2014, Ibragimov learned that he authorities have strip of his Russian citizenship (Ferghana news, 2015). He is imprisoned in Tajikistan (Ferghana news, 2015)
Current status: Ibragimov's Russian lawyer Nikolay Nikolayev has expressed plans to appeal the case in the European Court of Human Rights- on the grounds that the extradition was illegal. However, in July 2015 Ibragimov was sentenced to seventeen years imprisonment. A statement from the Court press office cited Article 307- namely the organisation of extremist activities and participation in a criminal community- whilst sentencing Ibragimov to imprisonment in a maximum security prison. (Atayeva, 2015).
Press sources: Edward Lemon, 'Tajikistan Extradites Opposition Leader, Arrests Sympathizers', Eurasianet, 4th February 2015. [Online]. Available at: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/71916 (Last accessed on the 30th March 2016) Nadejda Atayeva, 'Tajikistan officially reported that Maksud Ibragimov is sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment' 26th July 2015.[Online]. Available at: http://nadejda-atayeva-en.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/tajikistan-officially-reported-that.html (Last accessed on the 30th March 2016) Amnesty International, 'Tajikistani dissenters at grave risk after an opposition leader shot dead in Turkey', 6th March 2015.[Online]. Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/03/tajikistan-opposition-leader-shot-dead-in-turkey/ (Last accessed on the 30th March 2016) Tojnews, "Опубликованы имена заключенных членов ОО Молодежь Таджикистана за возрождение", 27th January, 2015.[Online]. Available at: http://tojnews.org/ru/news/opublikovany-imena-zaklyuchennyh-chlenov-oo-molodezh-tadzhikistana-za-vozrozhdenie (Last accessed on the 16th April 2016). Salimov, O. "Tajikistan’s Opposition Suffers Kidnappings and Assassinations". 4th January, 2015. The Central Asia Caucasus Analyst.[Online]. Available at: http://www.cacianalyst.org/publications/field-reports/item/13167-tajikistan%E2%80%99s-opposition-suffers-kidnappings-and-assassinations.html Ferghana news, "Tаджикистан: Похищенный из Москвы Максуд Ибрагимов находится под стражей в Душанбе", 2nd February, 2015. [Online]. Available at : http://www.fergananews.com/news/23033 Ferghana news, "Tаджикистан: Похищенный в Москве оппозиционер приговорен к 13 годам заключения", 16th July, 2015. [Online]. Available at: http://www.fergananews.com/news.php?id=23640