DUSHANBE, June 11, 2009, Asia-Plus -- 31 members of the criminal ring, led by the ex-director of the Isfara distillery Nizom Jourayev, have been sentenced to prison in the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court has completed consideration of criminal proceedings instituted against 33 members of the criminal group led by the ex-director of the Isfara distillery Nizom Jourayev and ruled on June 10 that 31 of them be given different jail terms.  The sentence followed their conviction on charges of a number of serious crimes, including organization of criminal grouping, economic crimes and killing of the Deputy Prosecutor-General of Tajikistan Tolib Boboyev in 1999.

Thus, two brothers of Nizom Jourayev – Tolib Jourayev and Fakhriddin Jourayev – were sentenced to 23 and 21 years in prison respectively.  Two former members of the Isfara city legislature – Sodirkhon Ubaidulloyev and Ilyoskhon Abdullojonov – were sentenced to 19 and 10 years in jail respectively.

Two defendants were found not guilty and were released.

The ringleader, former member of the Sughd regional legislature and ex-director of the Isfara  distillery Nizom Jourayev, is still wanted by police.  He faces a number of charges ranging from tax evasion to embezzlement of state funds.