Media Releases

Statement about the detention of Alexander Sodiqov

July 4, 2014

Since 16 June 2014, Alexan­der Sodiqov, a doc­tor­al stu­dent in Polit­i­cal Sci­ence at the Uni­ver­si­ty of Toron­to, has been held in deten­tion by secu­ri­ty forces in Tajik­istan. The Uni­ver­si­ty of Toron­to remains deeply con­cerned about the health and safe­ty of Alexan­der.

A Tajik nation­al, Alexan­der was in Tajik­istan con­duct­ing research on the top­ic of “Ris­ing Pow­ers and Con­flict Man­age­ment in Cen­tral Asia” under a con­tract with the Uni­ver­si­ty of Exeter in the Unit­ed King­dom. The project is fund­ed by the UK’s Eco­nom­ic and Social Research Coun­cil.

It is our under­stand­ing that the Uni­ver­si­ty of Exeter has pro­vid­ed a detailed account of the project under­tak­en by Alexan­der to the Tajik­istan author­i­ties. It is also our under­stand­ing that the For­eign Min­istry of Tajik­istan has informed the Uni­ver­si­ty of Exeter that an inves­ti­ga­tion is ongo­ing. In light of this, we hope and expect that Alexan­der will be proved inno­cent of all alle­ga­tions and will be released.

-30-

U of T Media Rela­tions
Tel: 416–978-0100
media.relations@utoronto.ca