Chorshanbe Chorshanbiev transferred to detention center in Dushanbe

Management of the country’s prisons have transferred Chorshanbe Chorshanbiev, the famous athlete and MMA fighter, who was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison in May this year, from Khujand prison to the detention center in Dushanbe. He was placed in a special maximum security prison known as “kritiy” (closed).

This famous MMA fighter used to be in the high security prison and several times was placed in “Shizo” (solitary confinement) and “kartser” (punishment cell).
The well-known journalist Anora Sarkorova, citing her sources in Khujand prison, reported that the prison management had orders to deliberately provoke Chorshanbe Chorshanbiev in order to use force against him.

“The prison staff and guards provoked Chorshanbe Chorshanbiev, were rude to him and used force to make him react. The prison management has repeatedly criticized this athlete’s behaviour, answers, communication and clothes. All this was done deliberately to find a reason not to place him with other prisoners and to harshen his prison conditions. However, Chorshanbiev did not commit any illegal act, and the decision to transfer him to a stricter regime was made from above”, the source said.

Sabza Tanibekova, mother of Chorshanbe Chorshanbiev, in an interview with Radio Ozodi on October 12 said: “I went to Khujand prison two weeks ago and saw him. I asked if they tortured or punished him. He said no, but he has lost a lot of weight.”

Citing her sources, Anora Sarkorova wrote that the management of Khujand prison received instructions from the center to create “unbearable conditions” for the Pamiri political prisoners and “break their will and strength”.
According to this source, transferred prisoners undergo a so-called test, during which they are severely beaten.

Also, in most cases, prison officers demand money from relatives of prisoners so that the prisoner can avoid severe punishment. In the special maximum security prison known as “kritiy”, they offer not to punish prisoners with beating in exchange for 1,500 dollars.

Earlier another prisoner Amriddin Alovatshoev, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison at the end of April this year, was transferred from Vahdat prison to detention center in Dushanbe and placed in maximum security prison known as “kritiy”.

Chorshanbe Chorshanbiev was deported from Russia on December 31, 2021 and arrested in Dushanbe. In May 2022, the authorities sentenced him to 8.5 years in prison on charge of calling for the overthrow of the government through the Internet. He and his relatives denied the accusation.
Sources: Telegram channel of Anora Sarkorova, www.azda.tv and www.ozodi.org