DUSHANBE — The Tajik authorities has not too long ago transferred hundreds of hectares of prime land to a personal firm that authorities opponents declare is managed by an in depth relative of the authoritarian president, Emomali Rahmon.
RFE/RL’s Tajik Service obtained a duplicate of an official doc signed by Rahmon on November 29 that grants short-term possession of the land to the Ismoili Somoni Holding Firm.
Based on the federal government’s enterprise registry, the top of the holding firm is Rahmatullo Asadulloevich Sadulloev, whom the president’s critics have recognized as one in every of Rahmon’s brothers-in-law.
RFE/RL has contacted the Tajik authorities for remark however had not acquired a response on the time of publication.
The doc does not clarify why the federal government determined to offer some 8,500 hectares of land to a personal firm. It consists of pastures, forests, and plots in sought-after areas simply outdoors the capital, Dushanbe.
The brand new proprietor may have full management of the land for the subsequent 20 years, the doc states.
With mountains masking 93 p.c of Tajikistan’s floor space, land is a valuable commodity within the nation of 10 million individuals. The deal comes as extraordinary Tajiks complain of a extreme scarcity of land to graze their livestock, develop meals, and construct properties.
The state registry exhibits that the Ismoili Somoni Holding Firm was established in 2006 and has since been concerned in numerous companies, together with building. Official paperwork present no particulars or pictures of the corporate’s head, Rahmatullo Asadulloevich Sadulloev.
Based on media near the political opposition, he’s one the influential Sadulloev brothers — the siblings of Tajikistan’s first woman, Azizamo Asadulloeva — who management quite a few profitable companies within the corruption-stricken nation.
RFE/RL can’t verify if the corporate’s chairman is certainly a member of the household or a mere namesake with a enterprise portfolio matching that of Rahmon’s family. There are additionally different non-public firms in Tajikistan whose identify consists of ”Ismoli Somoni.”
President’s Highly effective In-Legal guidelines
The primary woman’s elder brother, Rahmatullo Sadulloev, reportedly controls farmland and companies within the southern province of Khatlon, whereas notably conserving his distance from politics and refraining from taking authorities posts.
Sadulloev was as soon as quoted as allegedly saying, ”I’m the president of Khatlon; Rahmon is the president of Dushanbe.”
In March 2022, Rahmon attended the opening ceremony of the Worldwide Presidential College in Khatlon, which was constructed by ”home entrepreneur Rahmatullo Sadulloev,” the federal government web site reported with out additional details about the businessman.
Probably the most high-profile among the many president’s brothers-in-law is Hasan Asadullozoda — beforehand generally known as Sadulloev — whose huge enterprise portfolio consists of the foremost monetary establishment OrienBank and key airline, Somon Air.
His twin brother, Husein, managed an organization that bought oil merchandise within the southern Khatlon area. Husein Asadullozoda died after an sickness on the age 54 in 2022.
One other brother, Amonullo Sadulloev, is answerable for the Somon Sughd company, which controls a string of worthwhile companies within the northern a part of the nation.
Amirullo Asadullo, one other sibling, had served because the mayor of Bokhtar, the provincial capital of Khatlon.
The primary woman and her brothers use totally different variations of their surname and patronymic — Sadullo and Asadullo — styling them with Tajik or Russian endings or with no suffix.
Rahmon, who has dominated Tajikistan with an iron fist since 1992, has lengthy been accused of exploiting his place to complement himself and his family whereas the vast majority of Tajiks reside in deep poverty.
Virtually all main banks and companies in Tajikistan are considered managed by Rahmon’s mates and supporters.
Along with their non-public firms, a number of of his 9 kids occupy excessive authorities positions.
His eldest son, Rustam, concurrently holds two essential posts: the chairman of the higher home of parliament and the mayor of Dushanbe. The primary submit places him next-in-line for the Tajik presidency if his father ought to turn out to be incapacitated or in any other case unable to serve.
One in all Rahmon’s daughters, Ozoda, is the chief of workers of the presidential administration, whereas her husband, Jamoliddin Nuraliev, had served as the primary deputy finance minister and first deputy chairman of the Nationwide Financial institution.