DUSHANBE, July 16, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- An appeal against the sentence passed on the sons of ex-Minister of Emergencies Mirzo Ziyoev will be considered by the appeals court of the Supreme Court of Tajikistan on July 20, Anvar Yusupov, the deputy head of the Supreme Court, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on July 16.

According to him, Mirzo Ziyoev’s sons have lodged an appeal against the Supreme Court’s verdicts against them to the appeals court and the appeal is currently under consideration.  “This criminal case contains facts that are referred to state secret, and therefore, the appeals court meeting will be behind doors,” Yusupov said.

As it had been reported earlier, the Supreme Court sentenced on July 7 two sons of slain Minister of Emergencies Mirzo Ziyoev to prison terms up to 30 years; Saidahmad Ziyoev was sentenced to 28 years and Muhammadrizo Ziyoev got a jail term of 30 years.  

Yusupov also noted that the trial of six Russian citizens that were detained during a crackdown in Tavildara district last summer is under way.  “They face charges of formation of illegal armed groups, illegal possession of weapons, and plotting to overthrow or forcibly change the constitutional order of the country,” Yusupov said.

We will recall that last summer, illegal armed groups clashed with police in Tavildara district on two separate occasions.  Tajik officials reported in early July last year that Mirzo Ziyoev had been arrested because of his support for armed groups suspected of involvement in terrorism and drug trafficking.  Tajik authorities announced shortly afterward that Ziyoev was killed in ambush by his supporters on his way to negotiate the disarming of insurgents.  His supporters deny any responsibility for his death.  Last July, Tajik law enforcement forces were fighting insurgents in the area for several weeks.  Tajik authorities conducted what they said was an anti-drug operation in the area.