DUSHANBE, June 17, 2014, Asia-Plus – Mr. Simon Wright, Manager, College of Social Science and International Studies (SSIS) at University of Exeter, on June 17 made an official statement regarding detention of Alexander Sodiqov in Khorog.

The statement, in particular, notes that Alexander Sodiqov, a local researcher contracted by the University of Exeter, has been detained by the security officers whilst conducting an interview with a civil society representative in Khorog, in the eastern regioan of Gorno Badakhshan.

The purpose of Sodiqov’s visit to Gorno Badakhshan was solely related to his academic work, the statement said.

The statement also notes that Alexander Sodiqov was condcuting research for the project, Rising Powers and Conflict Management in Central Asia, which is funded by the British Scientific Council.

The project aims to explain the reasons for and the consequences of the failure of Western approaches to conflict management to gain traction in post-Soviet Central Asia. The project''s case studies are three significant outbreaks of violence in recent years: in Khorog, Tajikistan in 2012; in the Rasht valley in Tajikistan in 2010-11; and in Osh, Kyrgyzstan in 2010. The project involves a team of three academics from the universities of Exeter, Newcastle and Bradford.

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