KHUJAND, March 19, Asia-Plus  -- The trial of the criminal case involving freelance journalist Ravshan Qosimov is going on in a court in Sughd’s Spitamen district. 

Khurshed Saidov, the head of the investigation department within the Spitamen police directorate, told Asia-Plus Wednesday that Qosimov is standing trial for not paying for natural-gas consumption and unauthorized installation of the second gas stove. 

According to him, the journalist is charged with inflicting damage on property by fraud or abuse of trust (Article 253 of Tajikistan’s Criminal Code).  

If convicted, Qosimov could face up to two years in prison or two years of correction of work for stealing.