DUSHANBE, February 1, Asia-Plus  -- Ahmad Rahmonov, one of supporters of the rebellious Colonel Mahmoud Khudoiberdiyev, has got a long jail term.

The Sughd regional court on January 29 ruled that Ahmad Rahmonov be given a jail term of 18 years and that he serve it in a high-security penal colony.  

The sentence followed his conviction of high treason, participation in coup attempt, organization of criminal group, etc. 

The trail of Ahmad Rahmonov began in the regional court in the Sughd province on January 17.

According to the Sughd regional court, Ahmad Rahmonov, who is resident of Sughd’s Bobojonghafurov district, until recently had stayed in one of neighboring republic and been detained when had arrived in Sughd to see his family. 

The source at the Sughd regional court said that Rahmonov participated in a November 1998 coup attempt in the province along with other supporters of the rebellious colonel.  The preliminary investigation has established that Rahmonov was involved in murder of several people and espionage for other state, according to him.     

Colonel Mahmoud Khudoiberdiyev masterminded two coup attempts in the 1990s.  

More than 100 people had been killed in less than a week, after a renegade militia commander, Colonel Mahmoud Khudoiberdiyev, seized much of Khujand and the surrounding area in November 1998.

The rebellious colonel, who led an estimated 1,000 armed people into battle during the mutiny, also staged an abortive coup attempt in August 1997.