Tajik authorities deny involvement in disappearance
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 27 March 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Tajik authorities deny involvement in disappearance, 27 March 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/519a6b1f18.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
March 27, 2013
Salim Shamsiddinov
KHATLON, Tajikistan – Authorities in the southern Tajik province of Khatlon have denied involvement in the disappearance of an outspoken Uzbek community leader.
Salim Shamsiddinov has been missing since March 15.
A provincial police official said an investigation has not found "any sign that Salim Shamsiddinov was beaten or kidnapped by force."
Khatlon deputy police chief Eminjon Jalilov also rejected the March 26 statement by rights monitor Amnesty International that said Shamsiddinov's disappearance "could have been a politically motivated abduction."
Shamsiddinov, 58, a critic of the Tajik government, was beaten by unknown assailants in May.
He has blamed Tajik government policies for "straining relationships" with neighboring Uzbekistan.
Shamsiddinov recently called on ethnic Uzbeks living in Tajikistan to vote for an opposition candidate in the next presidential election scheduled for November.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
