Hasan Choriev, the father of a prominent Uzbek opposition activist, has been released from prison.

A spokesman for the Tashkent city prosecutor told RFE/RL on January 15 that Choriev was released on Tuesday due to an amnesty marking the 20th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s Constitution.

Choriev, 71, was found guilty of raping a 19-year-old woman and sentenced to five years in jail in August.

Many in Uzbekistan considered the case politically motivated.

Choriev’s son, Bahodir Choriev, fled Uzbekistan in 2004 and has been living in the United States for several years.

He established the opposition Birdamlik (Unity) group there along with members still residing in Uzbekistan.

Choriev is the fourth elderly prisoner jailed on presumably political grounds who has been released after the amnesty was adopted by the Uzbek parliament last month.