Abdumalik Abdullajanov

Abdumalik Abdullayevich Abdullajanov (Tajik: Абдумалик Абдуллоҷонов, Persian: عبدالملک عبدالله‌جان‌اف‎‎; born January 1, 1949) is a Tajikistani politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Tajikistan from September 21, 1992 to December 18, 1993. He resigned as Prime Minister to become Tajikistan's first ambassador to Russia.^[1] In 1994, he ran in the second presidential elections in Tajikistan but, according to official reports, lost to Emomalii Rahmon, Tajikistan’s current president.^[2] After that, he left Tajikistan, stayed in Russia for several years, then moved to the United States in 1998 and lived there since then; Abdullajanov had refugee status there.^[2] Abdullajanov was detained at Boryspil International Airport (near Ukrainian capital Kiev) on the request of the Tajik authorities upon arriving from Los Angeles on 5 February 2013.^[2] Tajik authorities accuse Abdullajanov of plotting an assassination attempt on Rahmon on 30 April 1997, when the president was wounded in the leg.^[2] Abdullajanov was also charged with organizing a riot in the Sughd Province which claimed dozens of lives in 1998.^[2] Abdullajanov has denied any involvement in his interviews to Western media.^[2] On 4 April 2013 Ukraine freed Abdullajanov from detention and refused a request to extradite him to his homeland.^[3]

Rumors have circulated that "Abdullajanov would support an opposition candidate who has not yet declared his participation" in the November 2013 Tajikistani presidential election, but because Abdullajanov has not been interviewed for a long time his stand on the issue is unclear.^[4]

References

1. "Tajikistan PM becomes ambassador". Kitchener-Waterloo Record. December 20, 1993. p. D10.
2. UNHCR asks Ukraine to free detained Tajik ex-premier, Interfax-Ukraine (13 March 2013)
3. Ukraine frees ex-Tajik PM, rejects extradition request, GlobalPost (4 April 2013)
4. UNHCR welcomes ex-Tajik premier’s release from detention, Interfax-Ukraine (6 April 2013)