After return from a visit to the Rushan district, where the governor of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) Yodgor Faizov got acquainted with the situation that emerged in the district after the arrest of three local residents, Mr. Faizov has visited COVID-19 patients at the central regional hospital in Khorog, the capital of GBAO, Gholib Niyatbekov, a spokesman for the GBAO governor, told Asia-Plus Tuesday (June 2) afternoon.

Recall, GBAO governor was discharged from a hospital after a ten-day medical treatment for COVID-15, and the same day, he visited the Rushan district, where local residents on May 25 held a protest rally against the power-wielding structures. 

The governor’s press center refrained from giving comments on governor’s meeting with Rushan residents.  They just said that Yodgor Faizov had reassured the people and promised to take everything under control.

Recall, hundreds of residents in Rushan gathered before the local security service office on May 25 to demand that the law enforcement authorities stop harassing three local young men arrested with Sharof Qobilov, who is suspected by the authorities of drug-smuggling and leading an organized criminal group.

Those three young men are accused of being members of Qobilov’s criminal group.

Meanwhile, local residents consider that they are innocent and demand that the law enforcement authorities stop harassing those three young men.  They fear that guys will be tortured and will be made take the fall.

Citing its source, Fergana news agency says security officers on May 23 tried to take the detainees from their cells to a nearby border service garrison.  The crowd reportedly surrounded the prisoner transport van and freed the men.  

The law enforcement authorities now insist that those young people be given to the authorities. 

Khovar national news agency says a 44-year-old Sharof Qobilov, who is accused of trafficking narcotics from across the border in Afghanistan, was arrested on May 22.  It was reportedly not even the first attempt to capture Qobilov.  A previous operation ended with Qobilov managing to flee to an unknown location, although two accomplices transporting a large consignment of drugs were purportedly captured.