Tajikistan sentences organized crime ringleader to life in prison and hands over him to Uzbekistan

The Supreme Court of Tajikistan has sentenced the leader of a criminal armed group, Yoqub Ahrorzoda, who is also known under the nickname of “Jinjak,” to life in prison.  The sentence followed his conviction on charges of murder, hostage taking, and robbery.  

Yoqub Ahrorzoda, 46, is resident of the village of Vahdatobod, which is subordinate to Vahdat Township.

In August 1999, he jointly with resident of Roudaki district Jamshed Aboyev, nicknamed as “Ivan,” and several other persons took away Mark 2 of resident of the Yakkatol village of Vahdat Township. 

The same year, Ahrorzoda and members of his criminal group reportedly took resident of the Dousti village of Vahdat Township Abdusalom Najmiddinov and his brother hostage and demanded heavy truck KAMAZ in ransom for release of them.  

In August 1999, they also took resident of Roudaki district Safed Ghafourov hostage and released after his relatives paid US$11,000 ransom. 

An official source at the Supreme Court says that after committing those crimes Ahrorzoda fled to the neighboring Uzbekistan, where he was arrested in 2009 for killing theater director and founder of Ilhom Theater Mark Vail.

Ahrorzoda reportedly stated at the trial he killed Vail for insuting Prophet Muhammad in his staging “Imitation of the Koran.”

Ahrorzoda was sentenced to 19 years in prison and his accomplices Kakhramon Pulatov and Alisher Sattorov were sentenced to 17 years in prison each.  Pulatov and Sattorov then were included in the amnesty and their jail terms were reduced by a fourth.   

In February this year, Ahrorzoda, who is serving his term in one of penal colonies in Uzbekistan, was handed over to Dushanbe at the request of Tajik authorities.  The Supreme Court of Tajikistan sentenced his to life in prison and then he was handed over to Uzbekistan again.