The Court of the Khatlon Region of Tajikistan has refused to pardon Russian pilots Vladimir Sadovnichy (Russia) and Alexey Rudenko (Estonia), RIA Novosti cites lawyer Gulom Boboyev as saying.
The two pilots were convicted in Tajikistan in November 2011, accused of illegal border crossing, smuggling and violation of international transit laws. The case caused tensions between Russia and Tajikistan. The pilots had their sentences smoothened a week later.
The court responded to the demand for their release on February 21, 2012. Judge Shamsiddin Timurov declined the complaint. Timurov said that the sentence of the Kurgan-Tyubinsky Court fair was passed according to the law.
