BBC reporter appears in Tajik court on extremism charge

A BBC World Service journalist who was arrested in Tajikistan a month ago has appeared in court today (16 August).

According to the BBC, Urunboy Usmonov had his trial adjourned at today's hearing until Thursday, when witnesses will been called.

Although the specific charges against Usmonov are still unclear, he has been accused in the country's state media of being a member of Hizbut-Tahrir, an extreme Islamist organisation which is banned in the country.

Usmonov, who has worked for the BBC Central Asian Service for the past decade, reportedly appeared alongside four other defendants who pleaded partially guilty to charges of extremism. According to the BBC, Usmonov denies the charges against him and claims that his contact with the Hizbut-Tahrir group was solely during the course of reporting on their activities.

Usmonov was released on bail in July and returned home to await the start of his trial.

The BBC has called repeatedly for the 59-year-old journalist to be released, and maintains that it regards the allegations against him as completely unfounded.

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