DUSHANBE, February 8, 2013, Asia-Plus – A court in the city of Borisopol, Kiev oblast yesterday satisfied a request by the prosecutor’s office and passed a resolution the arrest of former Tajik Prime Minister Abdumalik Abdullojonov, Russian news agency, RIA Novosti, quoted the Kiev regional prosecutor’s office as saying.

An official source at the prosecutor’s office told RIA Novosti on February 7 that the court has satisfied the request by the prosecutor’s office and “passed a resolution on the arrest of Abdullojonov for 40 days.”

Dushanbe must officially apply to the Ukrainian authorities for extradition of Abdullojonov prior to expiration of this term.

Abdumalik Abdullojonov has been detained at Borispol International Airport on an international arrest warrant.

According to information posted on the Ukrainian Interior Ministry’s official website, the arrest was made on February 5.  Officers from the Ukrainian Interior Ministry main organized crime control department reportedly detained a 64-year-old man who has been wanted by the Interior Ministry of Tajikistan for already sixteen years.

The man has been wanted for a number of very serious crimes, according to the website.  Until now, he has been hiding in the United States.  He reportedly came to Ukraine for his own business and did not expect at all to be detained. Now, the question of his extradition is being considered.  In Tajikistan, the culprit may be sentenced to twenty years in prison and confiscation of his personal property, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry’s website said.

Abdumalik Abdullojonov (born January 1, 1949) is a Tajikistani politician.  He served as the Prime Minister of Tajikistan from September 21, 1992 to December 18, 1993.  He resigned as Prime Minister to become Tajikistan''s first ambassador to Russia.  In November 1994, Abdumalik Abdullojonov ran against Emomali Rahmon for the office of president and was defeated.  Abdullojonov claimed to have won and accused Rahmon of electoral fraud.  After that he left Tajikistan.  For the past decade, Abdumalik Abdullojonov has lived in Los Angeles, the United States.

Tajik authorities accuse Abdullojonov of involvement in a 1996 assassination attempt on Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.  He is also accused of backing a 1998 militant attack in Sughd province and of organized crime and terrorism-related offenses, as well as a number of economic crimes.

Abdumalik Abdullojonov rejects the charges as politically motivated.