DUSHANBE, July 18, Asia-Plus - On Monday July 17, Yusuf Rahmonov, Tajikistan’s Main Military Prosecutor also a prosecutor in the trial Ghaffor Mirzoyev, former commander of Tajikistan’s Presidential Guards and former director of the country’s Drug Control Agency (DCA), asked Tajikistan’s Supreme Court to sentence Mirzoyev to death, according to Abduqayum Yusufov, defense lawyer of Ghaffor Mirzoyev.  

Mirzoyev’s defense lawyer has reminded that his client is charged with violating some 34 articles of the Criminal Code, including embezzlement, illegal storage of weapons, and killing.

As it had been reported earlier, after studying the government’s case against him Ghaffor Mirzoyev now denies all the charges he faces. 

Mr. Yusufov notes that investigators were unable to produce evidence to support Mirzoyev’s guilt on any of the charges brought against him.  “In this connection, the defense will insist on passing verdict of “not guilty” on Ghaffor Mirzoyev,” Abduqayum Yusufov said.  The defense will address the trial on July 20.

Mr. Yusufov added that moratorium on death penalty have been in effect in Tajikistan since June 2004.  “However, Tajikistan ’s Criminal Code still provides for death penalty on five articles, including deliberate killing,” said Mr. Yusufov, “Therefore Ghaffor Mirzoyev faces death penalty on the deliberate killing charge.”