DUSHANBE, March 18, 2013, Asia-Plus — One more person is standing trial for the deadly New Year”s Eve stabbing attack of a man dressed as ‘Father Frost.’
A trial of the 22-year-old resident of Dushanbe Firdavs Murodov began in a court in Dushanbe on March 18.
An official source at the Dushanbe city court says Murodov was among those young men who attacked Parviz Davlatbekov on December 31, 2011.
“After the incident, Murodov fled the country in order to avoid prosecution,” said the source. “After some time he returned from Russia to Dushanbe and gave himself up.”
We will recall that Parviz Davlatbekov, 24, was stabbed to death on December 31, 2011, as he entered his relatives” apartment block in Dushanbe wearing a Father Frost costume, which his relatives say he put on to surprise them.
Eight young men, including a teenager, have been charged with the murder.
The case sparked controversy in Tajikistan and abroad as some reports said the attackers killed Davlatbekov on religious grounds.
The Tajik authorities said the attack had not been religiously motivated.
In January 2012, Police arrested four persons in connection with the crime. Two of them – Sharaf Davlatov, Farrukh Samiyev – are university students in their 20s and two others – Behrouz Sharipov and Hasan Abdurashidov — are underage teenagers.
The Dushanbe city court started hearings into the high-profile murder of Parviz Davlatbekov in April 2012.
The 16-year-old Behrouz Sharipov was found guilty of killing Parviz Davlatbekov and he was sentenced to 10 years in prison in May 2012.
Sharaf Davlatov and Farrukh Samiyev were sentenced to four years in prison each and Hasan Abdurashidov was punished by a fine in the amount of 100 accounting indices (one accounting index is equal to 40.00 somoni).
Besides, the 18-year-old resident of Dushanbe Firouz Narzulloyev was detained in June 2012 for involvement in the deadly New Year’s Eve stabbing attack.
