KHUJAND, August 19, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Private soldier Sobirjon Tursunov has been sentenced to three years in prison for desertion.

The Khujand military court on August 17 ruled that private soldier Sobirjon Tursunov be given a jail term of three years and that he should serve it in a high-security penal colony.  The sentence followed his conviction on charges of desertion and loss of military property.  Tursunov should also reimburse 3,000 somoni to military unit for loss of military property

The source at the Khujand military court told Asia-Plus Tuesday afternoon that Tursunov was conscripted in August 2005 and he left the military unit the same month.  “He was arrested only in March this year and charges of desertion and loss of military property were officially brought against him,” said the source, “Moreover, Tursunov committed crime in 2006 and was convicted but later, he was amnestied.”