Rakhmon orders to take urgent measures to detain escapers.

(updates)
23/8 Tass 99

DUSHANBE, August 23 (Itar-Tass) - Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon has
demanded power structures take urgent measures to detain the group of
escaping criminals sentenced to long imprisonment terms on charges of
organising an attempt of a state coup d'etat.
The Tajik leader held a government meeting in this connection, the
presidential press service said on Monday.
The press service of the Tajik State National Security Committee has
reported that a group of prisoners numbering 25, using the guards'
negligence, escaped from jail overnight. Six servicemen of interior troops
were killed in the exchange of fire from the firearms seized by the
prisoners. The convicts put on military uniform and escaped from Dushanbe
in a vehicle they seized.
The immediately-organised "Interception" operation is not successful
so far.
The prisoners may have headed for the east of the country, and they
are being sought there now. Special security and police units are
searching for the escapers. The border guard troops are on alert. Control
is tightened at border stations and at places where the escapers are
supposed to appear.
All the prisoners were members of the armed anti-government group
headed by ex-minister for emergencies Mirzo Ziyeyev. During the civil war
in Tajikistan, he led armed Islamic opposition groups.
Three years ago, Ziyeyev was removed from the minister position. The
general in disfavour returned to the Tavildara region near the Pamir,
where he formed an anti-government group consisting of his former
supporters and mercenaries. In the summer of last year, his group was
crushed in an operation that lasted for almost two months. Tens of gunmen
were killed, and more than 40 were arrested. Among the arrested persons
were six Russian citizens -- North Caucasus natives.
The Tajik Supreme Court in the trial ended last Friday sentenced the
accused persons to long imprisonment terms up to life imprisonment. Five
of the Russian citizens were sentenced to terms from 19 to 30 years. The
trial was held in the jail where people under investigation are held.
According to Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan Yuri Popov, embassy
representatives were informed about the arrest of Russian citizens and
about the charges brought against them. The ambassador said the sentence
materials would be thoroughly studied before the reaction. The Russian
embassy head confirmed to Itar-Tass on Monday that among the escapers were
Russian citizens, but gave no comments.
A criminal case is opened over the escape, sources at the Tajik
Prosecutor-General's Office told Itar-Tass.
The search operation is continuing. The information that unidentified
armed persons fired at a police post in the Faizabad district, about 80
kilometres east of Dushanbe, is being checked.
-0-pan/gor


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