Juraev [Dzhurayev], Nizomkhon

See also Savriddin Juraev and Abdulkhakov Murodzhon in this database.

Gender: .
State of concern: .

Who, Why and How exiled:

Juraev is the former deputy on Sughd Regional Council and CEO of a Chemical Plant ‘Kimie’ who left Tajikistan in 2007. It has been claimed that Juraev began having legal troubles after falling out with President Emomali Rahmon's influential family (Radio Free Europe, 2012).

Category of exile: . (Definitions here.)
Alleged affiliation: Former insider.

Which stages experienced: Stage 1   Stage 2   Stage 3. (Definitions here.)
Date of most serious incident: 2012.
Violence experienced: .

Stage 1 details (accusations/ charges/ Interpol notice/ extradition requests):

It has been claimed that Juraev began having legal troubles after falling out with President Emomali Rahmon's influential family. An extradition request from Tajikistan was lodged in 2010 (Radio Free Europe, 2012).

Stage 2 details (arrest/ detention/ extradition):

Juraev was arrested and detained in Moscow by Russian authorities in August 2010. He applied for refugee status but his request and subsequent appeals were refused. Juraev then applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) to rule on violations of his rights to liberty, security and freedom from torture- under Articles 3, 5 and 13 of the ECtHR. On the 24th November 2011 the ECtHR applied interim measures under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, which prevented Juraev from being sent back to Tajikistan until the ECHR had ruled on his case. Juraev’s term of detention expired on 27 February 2012, after which he was reportedly detained on charges of attempted murder- though Juraev claimed he was not in Russia at the time of the alleged incident. Juraev’s lawyer learned on 29 March 2012 that the attempted murder charges had been dropped, but that he now faced charges of threatening to murder which he had not been informed of (Amnesty International, 2012).

Stage 3 details (attack/ abduction/ rendition/ torture/ assassination/ death):

On the 28th of February, 2012, Juraev was released with a written note mandating that he not leave the country. Shortly after however the Russian authorities have rearrested him on claims that he was involved in a criminal act happened in Russia (Fergana news, 2013).

On the 29th March Juraev was released from his detention centre in Zelenograd but disappeared shortly after. After few days he was found in Tajikistan and claimed that he  voluntarily returned to Tajikistan to cooperate with the authorities (Fergana news, 2013). Juraev's lawyer was also 'unofficially' informed that her client had been released on the 29th March from his detention in Zelenograd and that Juraev had subsequently returned to Tajikistan to face his charges and cooperate. However, Juraev's passport remained with his lawyer (Asia-Plus,2012).

 

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Other actions during Stages 1–3 (dispossession/ overseas assets frozen/ intimidation/ action against associates/ …):

In June 2009, thirty one people- mostly relatives of Juraev or staff of his business company- were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. During the trial several of the accused reportedly gave accounts of how they had been tortured, including with electric shocks. There were allegations that one man who had been extradited from Russia to Tajikistan was raped by police in September 2008 in order to extract a “confession” against Juraev. (Amnesty International, 2012).

International arrest warrant: .

Countries of transit, asylum and/or residence: .

Legal status (refugee/ asylum seeker/ resident):

Applied for refugee status in Russia but his request and subsequent appeals were refused (Amnesty International, 2012).

Current status:

Sentenced to 26 years in prison in Tajikistan- charged under article 289 part 3 (smuggling), article 291 (customs duties evasion) and article 340 (forgery of documents) of the Criminal Code of Tajikistan. (Asia-plus, 2015).

In June 2014, Juraev disappeared from Tajikistan after appearing in the court as the key witness in the affair of Zayd Saidov, a businessman and politician sentenced to 26 years' imprisonment after announced his intention to set up the New Tajikistan party (Озодагон,2015; Radio Free Europe, 2013). According to the authorities of Tajikistan he is hiding in Kyrgyzstan (Озодагон, 2015).


Press sources:

Amnesty International, 'Urgent Action: Tajik Refused Asylum Seeker Disappeared', 3rd April 2012. [Online]. Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur46/013/2012/en/ (Last accessed on 16th April 2016)

 

Asia-Plus,  “Abducted” Nizomkhon Juraev is at large in Dushanbe', 15th May 2012.[Online]. Available at:  http://news.tj/ru/newspaper/article/nizomkhon-dzhuraev-vnov-ischez (Last accessed on 31st March 2016)

 

Asia-plus, 'Nizomkhon Juraev faces trial', 22nd May 2015.[Online]. Available at: http://news.tj/en/news/nizomkhon-juraev-faces-trial (Last accessed on 30th March 2016

 

Radio Free Europe, 'Jailed Tajik Oligarch's Lawyer Arrested ', 29th May 2012.[Online]. Available at: http://www.rferl.org/content/jailed-tajik-oligarchs-lawyer-arrested/24597216.html (Last accessed on 31st March 2016)

 

Fergana news, 'Tаджикистан: Экс-депутат и бизнесмен Низомхон Джураев отсудил у России 42 тысячи евро', 7th October, 2013/ [Online]. Available at: http://www.fergananews.com/news/21302

 

Озодагон, 'Министр Рамазон Рахимзода не знает где находится Низомхон Джураев Рамазон Рахимзода, глава МВД Таджикистана не знает где находится Низомхон Джураев, бывший директор Исфаринского Химзавода', 15th January, 2015.[ Online]. Available at : http://catoday.org/centrasia/ministr-ramazon-rahimzoda-ne-znaet-gde-nahoditsya-nizomhon-dzhuraev

 

Radio Free Europe, 'Controversial Tajik Tycoon Falls From Grace', 25th December, 2013. [Online]. Available at: https://www.rferl.org/a/tajikistan-zayd-saidov-convicted/25212375.html