MEMRI: Is Tahir Yuldashev alive?
According to the Middle East Media Research Institute, based in Washington DC, on November 16, 2009 Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) released video featuring footage from Waziristan (Pakistan). The video, which runs eight minutes and 30 seconds, intersperses this footage with a talk given in the Uzbek language by the Emir of the IMU, Tahir Yuldashev, to a small group of mujahedeen.
The date of release is not specified. However, in the past this was the way Tahir Yuldashev disproved the rumors about his death.
Last time the death of IMU leader was announced by Ozodlik Radio (Uzbek Service of RFE/RL) that received a phone call some person, "the body guard and teammate of Tahir Yudlashev", on September 28. The person informed that at the beginning of September Yuldash was wounded and lost his leg; allegedly, he died on the next day. On October 3 Abdul Fattah Ahmadi, the official IMU spokesman, emailed radio station, rejecting the death of Tahir Yuldash. "Thank Allah, our emir is alive and safe. He believes this is not his level to respond to such rumors. He is going to make some statements on serious issues soon", IMU spokesman informed. It has been month and a half, but Tahir Yuldashev still made no statement.
The Middle East Media Research Institute is an independent, non-governmental and non-profit organization with offices in Washington DC, London and Israel. The institute was established in 1998 with the purpose to cover, analyze and inform society about political, cultural, social and religious trends in the Middle East. MEMRI translates and analyzes mass media reports in Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Iran and Israel. In the research the institute uses primary sources – translation from Arab, Hebrew and Farsi.