Uzbek analyst jailed for 12 years in treason case

TASHKENT: The former head of a state think tank in Uzbekistan was sentenced to 12 years in prison for treason and possessing illegal weapons, the country´s supreme court said on Thursday.

The court said in a statement that Rafik Saifulin, a political analyst and former director of Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies, was handed the sentence Monday during a closed-door hearing.

The statement did not disclose details about the crime Saifulin was convicted of, however. Saifulin, known for his strong pro-Russian stance, is also believed to be close to Rustam Inoyatov, the security service chief under late strongman Islam Karimov.

Inoyatov was considered a rival of Karimov's successor Shavkat Mirziyoyev as he moved to consolidate power in the central Asian country in 2016, and was sacked in 2018. In recent months Uzbekistan has seen several high-profile treason cases, which rights groups say indicate a continuation of Karimov-era practices.

In January, former high-ranking foreign diplomat Kadyr Yusupov was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison for treason. Well-known scholar Andrei Kubatin was freed last year after being sentenced to 11 years in jail in 2017 in a similar case. Mirziyoyev, who served as prime minister under Karimov, has avoided criticising him while the new administration has sought to open up the country to tourism and foreign investment.