EARLIER THIS WEEK ALEXANDER SODIQOV WAS SUDDENLY GIVEN PERMISSION TO LEAVE TAJIKISTAN AND RETURNED TO TORONTO, CANADA TO RESUME HIS STUDIES. TO THE THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS, A HEARTY THANK YOU.

Who is Alex Sodiqov?
Alexander Sodiqov is a citizen of Tajikistan who is also a doctoral student at the University of Toronto, a blogger, and widely-respected researcher of Central Asian affairs. He was arrested by authorities in Khorog, Tajikistan, when interviewing an opposition leader in a public park. At the time he was working on a research project on the topic of conflict management at the University of Exeter under the supervision of John Heathershaw.

Why was Alex arrested?
It is difficult to know. No evidence was ever presented by the State Committee of National Security (SCNS) of Tajikistan to justify the arrest and later charges. One public statement which was made on 17 June by the SCNS which indicated that he was accused of espionage and treason. Meetings with foreigners and at foreign embassies preceding his arrest were alluded to in this statement but no details were given. Many people in government, civil society, the media and academia in Tajikistan have such meetings with foreign organizations. Such meetings are not evidence of espionage.

What is the case really about?
Again, it is not clear due to the level of secrecy about the case. It would be speculation to offer a strong opinion in answer to this question. For Alex’s supporters, the case became a matter of false charges against an innocent man. It was also a matter of academic freedom in particular and freedom of association in general. If conducting an interview with an opposition leader, or meeting at foreign embassies, is espionage, then all of us who work in Tajikistan as academics, journalists and civil society representatives are at risk.

Why did some officers in the Tajik security services mistake Alex for a spy and why were these allegations continued for so long?
The Government of Tajikistan should answer this question.

How was Alex treated? Was he or his family and friends subject to intimidation or threats?
Fortunately, we understand that Alex was well-treated whilst in detention between 16 June and 23 July 2014. It was understandably stressful to be subject to very serious and false allegations both for him and his family. It would be wrong to comment on the tactics of the security services with regard to people that remain in the country.

What is the situation with the case now?
Alex remains formally under investigation but has been allowed to return to his studies at the University of Toronto. Given the seriousness of the initial allegations, and the fact that he has now been allowed to leave, we understand that the charges against him have effectively been dropped. It is to be expected that the legal process may take a little longer to conclude. There is no attempt to investigate or prosecute Alex. These facts demonstrate that the Tajik government has informally recognised that Alex is innocent, even though the legal case formally remains open.

What is the status of the campaign?
The campaign is comprised of a group of academics, civil society activists and concerned citizens across the world. We have acted in support of Alex to demand his full freedom. His freedom from detention (on 23 July 2014) and from leaving the city of Dushanbe (on 9 September 2014) are major developments which are extremely welcome. However, he is not free to travel without fear of arrest in Tajikistan until the charges against him are formally dropped and the case closed. While ever the case remains open, so does the campaign.

What are the current activities of the campaign?
We continue to demand the closure of the case but are calling a halt to all public events by the campaign. This is to allow time for the case to be formally closed and Alex’s innocence to be publically confirmed in Tajikistan. Academic members of the campaign will also be holding a series of related but non-campaign events at university campuses and conferences across the world in the academic year 2014/15. These will address issues of safety for fieldworkers and the general state of academic freedom in Tajikistan and across Central Asia.

Graduate students at the University of Toronto, with the generous help of Cam Woykin and Boaz Beeri from Sandbox Productions, put together a video in solidarity with Alex and reminding us of the importance of research to our understanding of big issues in the world today.

Tomorrow marks the 45th day since University of Toronto student Alexander Sodiqov was arrested without charge in Tajikistan. After enduring a month of detention, Alex was released from imprisonment, but he remains unable to leave the country. We urgently need your help to get him back.

Alex is a PhD student at U of T and was conducting research on conflict prevention in his home country of Tajikistan when he was suddenly detained on June 16th. He remained in detention for more than a month, and his release is conditional on his remaining in the country.

Please sign my petition calling on the Tajik government to allow Alex to leave the country so that he may return to Canada to continue his studies, and asking the Canadian government to help.

Alex has lived Canada for the past three years. His daughter was born here, and she is a Canadian citizen. And while Alex is first and foremost a loving husband and father, as his PhD supervisor I can tell you he is also an accomplished scholar who has contributed greatly to Canada as a resident, student, and teacher.

That’s why I’m calling on both the government of Tajikistan to allow Alex to return to Canada, and on the government of Canada to do everything its power to secure Alex’s full release and safe return to Canada. Just last year, tens of thousands of people singed a similar Change.org petition that helped get Canadians John Greyson and Tarek Loubani back home after being imprisoned for weeks in Egypt. I’m sure that with enough public support we can get Alex home too.

We’re worried for Alex’s safety, but are hopeful he can be back in Canada with his family soon. Please add your voice to those calling for his unconditional release.

Thank you,

Edward Schatz
Associate Professor of Political Science
University of Toronto

Dear All,

We friends and colleagues of Alex want to express our great appreciation for the efforts so far of many people around the world to secure Alex’s release. As many of you are no doubt already aware, Alex has been released on bail, and is now at his home in Tajikistan. However, the conditions of his house arrest are restrictive: he cannot leave the country, he is not to have contact with anyone abroad, and he is at great risk of being rearrested and formally charged with treason.

In other words, despite headlines from major media outlets reporting that Alex has been ‘freed’, the truth is that his prison conditions have merely improved. He is still confined, still under investigation, and still not yet free. While we are happy for any and all progress, we hope that those who have supported him this far will continue to do so in the coming days or weeks – we hope it will not come to ‘months’.

One new way to help is to sign one or both of the open letters we are currently hosting. When we have accumulated enough signatories in a week or so, we will print out it out in hardcopy and send it to the recipients. While we also encourage people to send emails to the president and minister of foreign affairs in Tajikistan,  we want to give priority to the open letters, as they will be harder to ignore than an email. For those who are intending to send emails, we suggest that you compose your own if at all possible, rather than copying and pasting the template provided, as emails arriving with identical wording can be filtered as spam quite easily, and thus may not even appear in their intended recipient’s email inbox.

Many thanks to you all.

We are all very pleased to hear the news of Alex’s release, on bail, and his reunion with his family. We are also glad to hear that the Tajik authorities treated Alex with respect and provided him with proper treatment while in detention.

However, it is important to remember that Alex’s case is not over yet: Alex remains under investigation, and is unable to leave his home under his bail conditions. We will continue to work to secure his return to Canada, so that he may rejoin his community of peers and continue his studies.

Alexander’s wife, Musharaff Sodiqova, published a letter on Asia-Plus marking one month since Alex’s detention.  An English translation of the original,  published on Asia-Plus, is below:

The Case of Alexander Sodiqov is a Mirror of My Country’s Spirit
Musharaff Sodiqova

It has been a month since law enforcement agencies in the GBAO region of Tajikistan detained scholar Alexander Sodiqov while working on a project on conflict management in Central Asia (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan). The State Committee for National Security [GKNB] in Tajikistan accused him of activities aimed at spying and undermining the national government.

At this moment, Sodiqov is being held in a GKNB detention center in Dushanbe.

In the beginning of July, Sodiqov’s wife, Musharaff Sodiqova, reported to Asia-Plus that the case has been declared “classified.”

Today, one month since being separated from her husband, Musharaff Sodiqova wrote a letter describing what a wonderful person and husband Alexander Sodiqov is.

“It has been one month since they invited my husband to confirm his identity. ‘Chonakam [Tajik word for the beloved], let us visit Mother later today and spend time as a family’, – Sasha [short for Alexander] said on Saturday morning, June 15, when we were going to visit our friends at their cottage. On the next day, we woke up early to say good-bye to Sasha [who was on his way for the research assignment]. ‘You are my life. Take care of yourself and our daughter. I will be back soon’. Who knew that ‘soon’ would drag on for an indeterminate period…

We’ve known each other for a long time. Our friendship, love and family life have proved that Sasha is an honest man who is true to his words; he is a faithful friend, a loving father (any child would dream of having such a parent); Sasha knows his true potential and is not afraid of change. He is loyal to his family and country.

Alexander is a diligent student, exemplary teacher and a hard-working employee. As evidence of that. over 100,000 scholars from all over the world, aside from friends and students, have actively expressed their concern over Sasha’s fate. They advocate for his release and pray that the major mistake [someone made when detaining Alex] is promptly corrected.

[Sasha] has proven to be so decent and reliable that my parents blessed our marriage and let us go to a foreign country, where we did not have anything or anyone. The best human qualities make him different from others, not inherited wealth or impertinence [with which other people treat life].  We decided to build our lives independently, from the start to finish. We earned money for the wedding. We work and study to build our home, lives and raise kids to be happy and proud.

While being far from home, in Canada, Sasha wanted to have a child. He wanted to have a daughter. On the day when I told him that he was going to become a father, he was so happy he could not sleep at night, and even got lost wandering in the city (he never had a problem of navigating the city before). He bought a huge bouquet of the most beautiful flowers and promised ‘to always be close to his girls’. Now he is not close, but against his will. But your girls are here close to you, [Sasha].

One memory of how he stayed with me for hours at the time that I gave birth to our daughter says much. Sasha was trying to help, supporting my back, while his hands had gone numb. He did not know exactly what else he could do, but he did a lot. Not every man is capable of handling such things…

Alexander is also an impressively responsible person. He had to care for his family, his mother and sister from an early age. He made independent choices, while not allowing the flow of life to carry him astray. He earned money and worked days and nights. He got accepted to university without any help, learned a foreign language on his own, all while surviving on a student allowance and not waiting for anyone’s assistance. On some days, he would go without using transport and would walk from one part of the city to the other to save money for food. Generally, he survived eating bread and [drinking] water every day. This man has gone through so many things in life that he is in possession of something that is truly valuable, and he has earned good things in life…

You would ask me why I describe these events as a mirror of one’s spirit? Because Sasha’s case reveals the true nature of each man involved, including the level of competency of our human rights activists and law enforcement agencies. This example vividly demonstrates [what choices we have to make every day], and whether intellectual work is valued on its own, or whether young people have to switch to part-time education, stay dependent on their parents, take part-time jobs as taxi-drivers, sales persons, or leave for another country and never come back.

I feel desperate and bitter because of these events. My child is constantly looking for something in other people that she cannot find. I know that she has lost her beloved dadachon [in Tajik, father]. She is a child, who’s been searching for joy and happiness for a month. But she is a little girl and she does not understand. The stress we encounter is leaving scars in our hearts, and it teaches us to appreciate the little things and value everything that we have in life, as this is the view Alexander Sodiqov has carried throughout his life.”

Academic Freedom in Central Asia: the case of Alexander Sodiqov

WHEN: July 22, 2014 5:00 – 7:30 PM (followed by a brief reception with refreshments)

WHERE: New York University, Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South, Room 907

Alexander Sodiqov, a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, was taken into custody on June 16 while carrying out sociological field research in Tajikistan. Although Tajik officials have not yet commented directly on his case, Sodiqov is reportedly facing a charge of treason, a crime carrying a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Sodiqov’s arrest has had an immediate chilling effect on academic freedom, not only in Tajikistan, but across Central Asia. Scholars at Risk has issued a call for letters of appeal to be sent to the authorities in Tajikistan.

Please join us for a panel discussion that examines the latest developments in Sodiqov’s case, assesses the implications of his possible prosecution and looks at potential options for the international community to pressure the Tajik government into releasing the scholar.

Featuring:

Edward Schatz, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto. Schatz is interested primarily in identity politics, social transformations, and authoritarianism with a focus on the ex-USSR, particularly Central Asia. He is also Mr. Sodiqov’s doctoral adviser.

Alexander Cooley, Tow Professor of Political Science at Barnard College in New York City. Cooley’s research examines how external actors have influenced the development and sovereignty of the former Soviet states, with a focus on Central Asia and the Caucasus.

Anne Nelson, is a lecturer and author in the fields of international affairs, media and human rights. She has served as the director of the Committee to Protect Journalists. Since 2003, Nelson has been teaching in the media program at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs.

John Heathershaw, Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. Heathershaw works on the politics of aid and conflict resolution in Central Asia. He was supervising Sodiqov’s research in Tajikistan, and will participate in the discussion via Skype.

Rob Quinn is the founding Executive Director of the Scholars at Risk Network, based at New York University.

In light of the considerable international attention paid to Alexander Sodiqov’s arrest and detention, the Tajik government has promised an ‘objective’ investigation. This is excellent news, as it suggests that with the eyes of the world upon it, Tajikistan has recognised the need for a fair and honest examination of the facts. We encourage everyone seeking Alex’s release to maintain the pressure, and to continue to urge the Tajik authorities to release our friend and colleague, whose imprisonment threatens the rights of scholars everywhere to conduct research free of harassment or political cooptation.

For those who do not speak Russian, a translation of the article follows.

July 5, 2014

The Case of Sodiqov

Tajikistan and Great Britain are in favour of an impartial investigation of Sodiqov’s case

In his appearance on Radio Ozodi, the Ambassador of Tajikistan to Great Britain said that one of the topics of the discussion that was held by the head of the Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs in London was the arrest of Alex Sodiqov.

During a conversation with Radio Ozodi on July 4th, the Ambassador of Tajikistan, Erkin Kosimov, reported that one of the discussion topics by the head of the Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs in London was the arrest of Sodiqov, who is suspected by Tajik authorities of spying [for a foreign state] and treason. In his telephone interview from London, Mr. Kosimov reported that Sirodzhiddin Aslov’s visit to London ended on July 4, and that the minister had already returned to Dushanbe. Speaking specifically on the matter of Sodiqov during the talks in London, he said the following:

Ambassador of Tajikistan to Great Britain Erkin Kasimov:

“Yes, indeed, we discussed Sodikov’s case during our meetings in London. The British side expressed their concern over the fate of the Tajik scholar However, it should be said that both the Tajik and British officials came to an agreement that this case should be thoroughly and comprehensively investigated. An objective assessment of the situation is needed. Sodiqov is a citizen of Tajikistan, and his case should be investigated according to the laws of this country, based on all the principles of justice,” said the senior diplomat.

Alexander Sodiqov was arrested June 16 in the city of Khorog, accused of spying and high treason. Sodiqov himself, along with his friends and relatives, do not agree with these accusations, maintaining that Alex is an ordinary researcher, who was visiting Khorog as a part of his scholarly work on the day of his arrest. According to the words of his relatives, Alex intended to interview representatives of local authorities and civil society to ask them questions on the events unfolding in Khorog.

To date, the total number of individuals who signed petitions in support of the Tajik scholar is fifty-five thousand. Sodiqov is a PhD student at the University of Toronto, while his supervisor, John Heathershaw, is teaching at the University of Exeter in the UK. Heathershaw, who was in Dushanbe at the time, had to secretly leave Tajikistan, inferring that his stay in Dushanbe was no longer safe in light of Sodiqov’s arrest

Earlier reports conveyed that in his first visit to London as the Head of Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sirodzhiddin Aslov was supposed to meet with his British colleague William Hague. However, this meeting did not occur. According to Erkin Kasimov, “Hague was sick”, which was the reason that their meeting was postponed for another time.

Overall, the official trip taken by the Head of the Foreign Affairs Minister to London took three days. The official webpage of the Tajik Ministry informs that on July 1, Tajikistan and Great Britain signed an agreement on ways of avoiding double taxation and preventing income tax evasion. The Senior Minister of State for Faith and Communities, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, represented the British side when signing the document. On July 2 and July 3, Aslov held negotiations with the speaker of the House of Lords in Great Britain, Baroness D’Souza, and with the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Suma Chakrabarti.

Great Britain still does not recommend visiting GBAO

At this moment, the official webpage of the British government does not recommend visiting Tajikistan, especially GBAO. However, according to the words of Erkin Kosimov, “this is only a recommendation”. In his words, the number of people willing to visit Tajikistan has not decreased [recently]. However, he could not comment on the exact number of tourists that he had in mind.

Khiromon Bakzoda, Radio Ozodi

Rt Hon David Lidington, Conservative MP, confirmed in parliament that Senior Minister of State Baroness Warsi had discussed Alexander’s case when she met with Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojidin Aslov on July 1st.

To see the full transcript, please click here.