Buzurgmehr Foundation calls for objective investigation into Abdukahhor Rozikov’s death
37-year-old Abdukahhor Rozikov was tortured to death by police officers in the city of Kulob.
Radio Ozodi, citing Abdukahhor Rozikov’s relatives, reported that he was arrested on January 2 by the officers of Kulob Police Department without any reason, and few hours later they took his body to the morgue.
His relatives said that he was tortured to death. However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan said that Rozikov died of “amphetamine overdose”.
Safar Giyoev, Abdukahhor Rozikov’s uncle, told Radio Ozodi on January 3 that “there were signs of a handcuffs on his hands” and “there were signs of torture all over his body”. Therefore, according to him, they gathered in front of the morgue and demanded that those responsible for the death of his nephew be brought to justice. “The policemen who detained him yesterday, should be held accountable”, Giyoev said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan on January 3 explained the cause of death of Abdukahhor Rozikov as follows: “Citizen A. Rozikov used an excessive dose of the drug amphetamine (crystal) before the arrest, as a result of which he died on the way to Kulob Police Department”.
Azda TV reported, citing Abdukahhor Rozikov’s relative that in the pre-trial detention center of Kulob, the deceased was forced to sign a paper related to some criminal case, but he refused to do so. Therefore, four or five police officers tortured him with electricity until this death. After his death, in order to hide their crime, the police officers took him first to the hospital, and then to the morgue and ran away. “They even deleted CCTV footages from the morgue to hide who had taken the body there,” the source said.
The source of Azda TV named 4 police officers of the city of Kulob, who were suspected in this crime: Shamshod, Shorukh, Zafar and Karomatov Jamshed.
According to the press, dozens of people gathered in front of the police department, Kulob city hall and the morgue demanding the authorities to arrest and prosecute those who are guilty of murdering Abdukahhor Rozikov.
His relatives told the press that when a delegation of the officials, including mayor of Kulob “said that three police officers were arrested and were under interrogation”, they retrieved the body of Abdukahhor Rozikov from the morgue and the crowd dispersed.
But after the crowd dispersed, police detained more than ten of them. The fate of the detainees is still unknown.
It is not the first time when the press reported on law enforcement officers torturing and abusing prisoners and suspects in detention centres and prisons of Tajikistan until their death.
Buzurgmehr Foundation has also repeatedly raised the issue of the violation of human rights in Tajikistan and urged the authorities to stop this inhuman treatment and improve the situation in the country.
Buzurgmehr Foundation demands that the authorities objectively investigate this case and bring the guilty to justice. We also condemn any restriction and pressure on the relatives of the deceased.