The Moscow Court of Appeals has increased Ahadjon Zokhidov's prison sentence to 15 years in a strict regime colony for state treason and preparation for smuggling. Zokhidov, a Russian citizen born in Tajikistan, had initially received a combined sentence of 13 years from the Moscow City Court for treason and smuggling preparation. The new sentence comes after the Appeals Court identified completed smuggling and added a three-year sentence, bringing the total to 15 years, with an extra year of freedom restriction upon release.
The specifics of Zokhidov's smuggling activities remain unknown, and details of the case are scarce. Zokhidov's criminal case began on September 12, 2022, when he was arrested and taken to a pre-trial detention center. He was identified as Ahadjon Makhmadjonovich and had been registered as an individual entrepreneur for a taxi business in the village of Brekhovo near Moscow in 2021.
