QURGHN TEPPA, January 27, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- Seven supporters of the mutinous Colonel Mahmoud Khudoiberdiyev have been arrested in Khatlon province this month, Suhrob Salomov, the deputy chief of the Khatlon police directorate, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

He refrained from giving further details, noting that criminal proceedings have been instituted against them and an investigation is under way.

According to him, eight supporters of Mahmoud Khudoiberdiyev were detained in the province last year.  “They were sentenced to various jail terms,” Salomov said, adding that 38 other supporters of the mutinous colonel are still wanted by local law enforcement authorities.

We will recall that Colonel Mahmoud Khudoiberdiyev made two failed coup attempts in 1997 and 1998.  After the failed coup attempt made in August 1997, Khudoiberdiyev and his supporters retreated via Shahritous and Beshkent into southern Uzbekistan.  According to some sources, after leaving Tajikistan, the mutinous colonel and his militant followers moved through Uzbekistan into Afghanistan in November 1997.  Khudoiberdiyev reportedly returned to Uzbekistan in June 1998.  On November 4, 1998, Khdoiberdiyev’s armed group invaded Sughd province from Uzbekistan.  A few days later the government regained control of the province.  Some 100 people were reportedly killed in the Sughd clashes.  Tajik Prosecutor-General’s Office instituted criminal proceedings against Khudoiberdiyev under the provisions of two articles of Tajikistan’s Penal Code (high treason and coup attempt) and has repeatedly requested Uzbek authorities to extradite Khudoiberdiyev to Tajikistan.