KHUJAND, June 24, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Alleged activist of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) has been detained in Sughd province.

According to the Sughd police directorate, the 30-year-old resident of the Isfara district Nourmahamd Abdusmi was detained by police at the end of last week on suspicion of being member of the IMU.

“The preliminary investigation has established that Nourmahmad Abdusami joined the movement in 1998 following persuasions by Anvar Qayumov, the head of the IMU cell in Isfara.  Anvar Qaymov was arrested on January 16 this year,” said the source, “After taking a special training in 2000, Nourmahmad Abdusami actively participated in activities of IMU’s cell in Isfara under the pseudonym of “Ozar.”  

Abdusami is also suspected of having been involved in murder of two officers from the Konibodom police department and attack on the police department in the city of Qairoqqum in January 2006.

We will recall that unidentified men attacked a pretrial detention facility of the Qairoqqum police department on January 25, 2006.  Prison warden Bobojon Gadoboyev was killed by the armed assailants, who escaped with freed prisoner.   

Criminal proceedings have been instituted against Nourmahmad Abdusami under the provisions of Article 187, Part 2 (organization of criminal grouping) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code.