A court in Hisor City has issued an arrest warrant for deputy leader of the opposition Social-Democratic Party of Tajikistan (SDPT), Mahmurod Odinayev.

A source within the Prosecutor-General’s Office says the Hisor city court has issued a warrant for detention of Mahmurod Odinayev in pretrial detention facility during two months.

“The court has issued the arrest warrant on the basis of request from the Hisor prosecutor’s office,” the source added.  

Recall, the 58-year-old Mahmurod Odinayev, who had been on missing since November 20, was detained in Dushanbe on December 5 and brought under convoy to Hisor, according to the press center of the Prosecutor-General’s Office. 

A statement released by the Prosecutor-General’s Office, in particular, says Odinayev together with his wife Mehrinigor Rizoyeva and their son Habibullo Odinayev on October 29 came to the military registration and enlistment office in Hisor and noted that their son had been drafted into the army illegally.  And they deliberately disturbed public order, according to the statement.  

Despite the warning from government officials, Odinayev reportedly “continued his illegal actions, using threats, brute force and indecent language against government officials.” 

The Hisor prosecutor-general’s office on November 20 instituted criminal proceedings against Mahmurod Odinayev under provisions of Article 237 (2) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – hooliganism committed by a group of people by prior conspiracy, with resistance to government officials or to other persons charged with the responsibility of maintaining public order; an investigation is under way.  

If convicted, Odinayev could face up to five years in prison or a fine of 30,000 somonis to 60,000 somonis.  

Odinayev does not currently have legal representation, but SDPT leader Rahamtillo Zoyirov said the party is now looking to hire a lawyer to take up the case.