DUSHANBE, September 5, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- The Dushanbe social-political newspaper Nigoh (View) is giving a press conference today over a suit filed against the newspaper by Dushanbe resident Sayfullo Loiqov. 

A court case pitting Loiqov against Nigoh has been considered in the court of Dushanbe’s Sino district since June.  Sayfullo Loiqov is asking for 30,000 somonis in damages after an article published in the weekly on June 5 allegedly defamed him.  The article was about an illegal sale of an apartment of Zulfia Aliyeva and fraud of Loiqov who acted as mediator in that transaction.  

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the Nigoh founder Saymuddin Doustov said that a week later, a person came to the newspaper office and introducing himself as Sayfullo Loiqov and refuted facts stated in the article.  “The newspaper published a disclaimer in the next edition, however, Loiqov filed suit against Nigoh asking to 30,000 somonis in damages,” Doustov said.