DUSHANBE, August 10, Asia-Plus - Ex prisoners of the Guantanamo Bay from Tajikistan have right to clemency, the Human Rights Watch said in its official letter to Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon.

This letter tells about two citizens of Tajikistan, Rukhniddin Sharopov and Abdumukite Vokhidov. According to HRW, while being detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, both Sharopov and Vokhidov claimed that they were moved to Afghanistan against their will and were unable to return back home since they had no documents. In 2001 Afghan field commanders sold them to US agents during the US counter-terrorist operation in Afghanistan.

The letter says that after their return back to Tajikistan they were jailed for 17 years and have already spent 4 years in prison. HRW studied the cases and believes that both Sharopov and Vokhidov were deprived of procedural rights.

“Neither US, nor Tajik authorities provided any sound evidences of Sharopov’s and Vokhidov’s belonging to terrorist activity and crimes,” the letter says.

“We hope that the forthcoming amnesty law will also cover ex-prisoners of the Guantanamo Bay, who were accused of murder, and hope that Vokhidov’s and Sharopov’s appeals for amnesty will be carefully examined,” HRW said in its letter.