QURGHON TEPPA, August 25, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Mr. Tillokhouja Muslimov from the Qumsangir district (Khatlon province) and Ms. Sanovbar Gulova from the Bokhtar district (Khatlon province) have got long jail terms for the involvement in drug trafficking.

A court in the city of Qurghon Teppa sentenced Tillokhouja Muslimov and Sanovbar Gulova to nine years in prison each on August 24.  The sentence followed their conviction on charges of drug trafficking.

Meanwhile, their lawyers consider that the verdict is illegal and unfair.

Muslimov’s lawyer, Ghulom Boboyev, says his client’s guilty was not proved.  The lawyer says investigation failed to produce proofs to support charges brought against his client.

Boboyev insists on additional investigation.  According to him, Muslimov was tortured to force him to confess.  “Two forensic medical examinations confirm this,” the lawyer noted.

Gulova’s lawyer, Khurshed Safarov, also considers that the verdict against his client is unfair and he is going to appeal against the sentence.

A prosecutor in the trial of Muslimov and Gulova asked the Qurghon Teppa city court to sentence Muslimov to 10 years in prison and Gulova to 11 years in prison.

We will recall that both of them were detained by officers from the Khatlon police directorate on April 14 this year and one kilogram of raw opium was confiscated from them.