137 Sughd residents suspected of committing extremist crimes pardoned

Sughd chief prosecutor Habibullo Vohidov remarked this on October 4 while addressing a meeting to review the results of work carried out by local prosecutor’s offices over the first nine months of this year. 

According to him, those 137 persons, who were suspected of committing extremist crimes, have been pardoned on the basis of Article 307 (3) and Article 401 of Tajikistan’s Penal Code, which in particular, stipulate that a person voluntarily stopping participation activities of political parties, public or religious associations, which are banned in Tajikistan in connection with carrying out extremist activity, is exempted from criminal liability, if his/her actions do not contain a different corpus delicti.  

Tajikistan amended its criminal laws in 2015, allowing authorities to pardon Tajik fighters who voluntarily return home and repent joining foreign militant groups.  The government insists that it's not a blanket amnesty and applies only to those who have not taken part in violence.