KHUJAND, September 20, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- Emir (head) of the cell of the outlawed religious extremist Hizb ut-Tahrir organization in Tajikistan, Sharif Yoqubov, has begun to witness against the BBC reporter Urunboy Usmonov.

Deputy chairman of the Sughd regional court, Shodikhon Nazarov, who is presiding over the trial, yesterday read out the statement by Sharif Yoqubov.  Sharif Yoqubov allegedly confirmed his acquaintance with Urunboy Usmonov and said that Mr. Usmonov supported the idea of creation of an Islamic state.

In the meantime, Usmonov has denied almost everything, including connection with Yoqubov.  “This is provocation!  Somebody set me up, but I do not know who!” the journalist stated.  “Yoqubov stated that I allegedly promised him to spread the dictaphone-recorded materials through Radio Ozodi (Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service), but I have never cooperated with Ozodi.  One of principles of the BBC says that if you work for the BBC, you do not have the right to work for other corporations under contract.”

Usmonov’s defense lawyer, Ms. Fayzinisso Vohidova, considers that statements by Yoqubov have no legal force, because they are discrepant and based on speculations.  “Moreover, they did not carried out confrontation between them,” said the lawyer, “In this case, the confrontation was needed for removing contradictions.”

She also noted that she had solicited the judge for questioning two journalists who were the first to visit Usmonov after detention – Ilhom Jamoliyon, the head of Sughd’s branch of Tajik Journalists’ Union (TJU), and Lenura Mustafayeva, a journalist working with Pressa.tj.  “They were to have seen signs of beating on open parts of body of Usmonov,” Vohidova said.

The trial of a BBC reporter accused of associating with banned Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir began in Khujand on August 16.

Urunboy Usmonov, 59, denies the charges, saying any meetings he had with Hizb ut-Tahrir members were for purely journalistic purposes.  The reporter said he had interviewed some members of the banned group as part of his work reporting on the region, where Hizb ut-Tahrir is active.

Usmonov''s arrest on June 13 was condemned by international media and rights advocates as a censorship attempt.  The reporter''s relatives said he was beaten while in custody.  Usmonov was released on bail a month after his arrest pending the trial.