DUSHANBE. Aug 21 (Interfax) - Tajik opposition journalist Dododzhon Atovulloyev, who is known for his criticism of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and his family members, who was earlier detained at the Tbilisi airport, has been released by the Georgian authorities and has left for Germany.
"I was released around 5:00 p.m. Tbilisi time (5:00 p.m. Moscow time). However, I was asked not to disclose that information," Atovulloyev said on Facebook on Wednesday.
"I am now in Germany," he said.
Atovulloyev earlier reported his detention at the Tbilisi International Airport (TBS). The journalist was told he had been detained due to a request filed with Interpol by the Tajik authorities, who accused him of religious extremism and terrorism. In the meantime, the Tajik media reported that Atovulloyev was not in the database of persons wanted by the Interpol. The database is available for viewing on the Internet.
"My release shows that the current Tajik administration is seen in Georgia and Germany as a pariah and its request filed with Interpol means nothing to them," Atovulloyev said.
"Everyone understands that Tajikistan is using the Interpol for political persecution and for settling personal accounts, not for fighting crime," the journalist said.
On July 15, Atovulloyev, who claims to be the leader of the Vatandor (Patriot) political movement, was detained in Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport upon arrival from the Czech capital. A few hours later, Atovulloyev was put on a Prague-bound flight because the Russian authorities did not allow him to cross the Russian border despite the presence of a valid visa in his passport.
"One of the [Tbilisi] airport employees told me that my case would be decided at the highest level," the journalist said.
Atovulloyev, who has lived in Moscow and Germany during the past several years, was attacked at the Moscow restaurant Viaggio on January 12, 2012. Atovulloyev suffered several knife wounds and was staying at the Sklifosovsky Emergency Medicine Research Institute, where he underwent several surgeries.
Atovulloyev claimed in 2007 that he was the head of the opposition movement Vatandor (Patriot) and that a large number of Tajik politicians were its members. Atovulloyev identified Vatandor's principal mission as non-violently depriving President Emomali Rahmon of power, whom he has fiercely criticized. Nothing is known about any other Vatandor member besides Atovulloyev.
The Tajik Prosecutor General's Office has repeatedly accused Atovulloyev of calling for a violent change of the constitutional system and insulting the president. Dushanbe has sought Atovulloyev's extradition several times, but Moscow has always declined these requests, because Atovulloyev acquired political refugee status in Germany.
In May 2013, Central Asian opposition television channel K+ posted a program on YouTube that was presented by Atovulloyev. The program showed scenes from the wedding of Rahmon's son, Rustam Emomali. Atovulloyev criticized the opulence of the wedding.
According to Interfax sources, the video seriously angered the Tajik leadership.
The next presidential election in Tajikistan has been scheduled for November 2013.