DUSHANBE, February 28, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan”s Customs Service press secretary Abdurahim Umarov is being treated in a hospital after being severely beating, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reports.
Umarov told RFE/RL that four unknown men attacked him late on February 27 near a market place in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.
Umarov, who has been working on a documentary about gasoline smuggling from neighboring Kyrgyzstan, said he received threats several months ago.
Before accepting his job last year as the Customs Service”s press secretary, Umarov worked for a number of domestic and international media outlets, including RFE/RL.
The deputy chief of Tajikistan”s Customs Service, Nemat Rahmatov, told RFE/RL that a request to investigate the attack against Umarov has been sent to the Interior Ministry.
