Canadian researcher released after five weeks in Tajikistan jail

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/24/canada-alexander-sodiqov-released-tajikistan

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Canadian researcher Alexander Sodiqov has been released after five weeks in jail in Tajikistan, having signed a statement promising not to leave the country an investigation into his activities continues.

Sodiqov, a political science doctoral student at the University of Toronto and a Tajik national, first traveled to his home country in June as part of a University of Exeter research project on conflict management strategies.

He was detained in Khorog on June 16, before being brought to the intelligence agency headquarters in Dushanbe, where he remained until July 22, accused of espionage.

“These things can turn on a dime, but I think it’s all moving in the right direction,” said Sodiqov’s academic advisor at the University of Toronto, Ed Schatz. “[Alex] is a scholar, his daughter is a Canadian citizen. His place is in our PhD program,” added Schatz, who has spearheaded an online campaign to draw awareness to Sodiqov’s detention.

Amid fears for the long-term repercussions of the arrest, a group of scholars and activists gathered at New York University to discuss academic freedom for scholars focusing on Tajikistan.

“Tajikistan was never a no-go area for academic research,” said John Heathershaw, a lecturer at the University of Exeter who was working with Sodiqov at the time of his arrest. “Alex’s detention is unprecedented… and it sent a message that research is under threat in Tajikistan.”

Sodiqov and others have vehemently denied any connection to espionage, which Heathershaw called “simply untrue”. Disseminating his story and his denials, however, has proved a challenge in Tajikistan, where pro-government media dominate.

“The region thrives on conspiracy theories. Having knowledge – having data – is extremely threatening to these governments,” said Alexander Cooley, a political science professor focusing on Central Asia at New York’s Barnard College.

“Alexander’s detention has had an effect: it’s going to deter research. It’s making this muddled environment even worse.”