DUSHANBE, August 30, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Tajikistan’s High Economic Curt has handed down ruling obligating the Korean-led Grace Sonmin (Protestant) church to return illegally purchased school building to the Dushanbe education directorate.  

Speaking to reporters, the Dushanbe education directorate head Shamsullo Islomov said on August 29 that the Tajik High Economic Court has ruled that the Grace Sonmin church returns illegally purchased school building to the Dushanbe education directorate.  

According to him, the church purchased a half-finished school building in Dushanbe’s Firdavsi district in 1997 for 18.192 million Tajik rubles (The ruble was the currency of Tajikistan between May, 10 1995 and October 29, 2001 – Asia-Plus).     

“Under Tajikistan’s legislation, buildings of educational facilities, including the half-finished ones, are not subject to sale,” Islomov said, noting that the Korean-led church purchased the mentioned building, while nearby schools ## 51 and 28 are experiencing an cute shortage of classes. 

According to him, the education directorate has repeatedly applied to different instances, asking to rerun the building, but each time the verdict has been directed for defendants – the church itself and the Dushanbe directorate for state-owned property, which illegally sold the building to the church.