DUSHANBE, June 20, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- Ilhom Jamoliyon, head of Tajik Journalists’ Union (TJU)’s branch for Sughd province, has met with the BBC Uzbek Service correspondent Urunboy Usmonov, who was detained on June 13, and Said Saymuddinov, an investigator who is conducting probe into this case.

According to the National Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan (Nansmit), the meeting that was organized on instruction of the TJU leadership took place in the building of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS)’s office in Khujand on June 18.

Investigator Saymuddinov said the detained Hizb ut-Tahrir activists Abdunabi Abduqodirov and Yahyokhon Rahmonkhojayev noted that on instruction of the Hizb ut-Tahrir regional leader Sharif Yoqubov they should have maintained contacts with a certain Urunboy.  “According to their testimony, Urunboy is supporter of the Hizb ut-Tahrir group and has periodically received various Hizb ut-Tahrir printed materials from its members,” the investigator said.  “Further investigation has established that Urunboy is the BBC Uzbek-language service correspondent Urunboy Usmonov.  On the ground of existing materials, Urunboy Usmonov was detained by security officers on June 13 on suspicion of having ties to the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir party.”

According to Saymuddinov, in the course of interrogation, Urunboy Usmonov admitted that he met Sharif Yoqubov, the alleged leader of the Hizb ut-Tahrir group in Tajikistan, in February 2010 and had been in permanent contact with him.  Usmonov allegedly also admitted that he had regularly received subversive literature from Yahyokhon Rahmonkhojayev and other Hizb ut-Tahrir activists.

We will recall that Sharif Yoqubov, 43, was detained in Dushanbe on June 8.  Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported on June 15 that the Interior Ministry spokesman Mahmadullo Asadulloyev said Yoqubov and his followers prepared and distributed leaflets on the streets of Dushanbe.  He said Yoqubov''s arrest became possible after his online correspondence with Ata Abu ar-Rushta, Hizb ut-Tahrir''s London-based leader, was monitored by Tajik security services.

“The investigator stated that arrest of Usmonov is not connected with his professional activity,” Jamoliyon said.

He noted that he had also had a short meeting with Urunboy Usmonov.  During the meeting, Mr. Usmonov confirmed that he had rejected the help of a lawyer, according to Jamoliyon.  “He looked despondent; there were no signs of beating.  He was saying over again, “I made a mistake, I hate them,” Ilhom Jamoliyon said.