DUSHANBE, October 22, 2014, Asia-Plus – Four defendants from Vahdat Township, who are standing trial for extortion, are claiming they suffered torture during the preliminary investigation.
Four young men from Vahdat – Jamshed Narzulloyev, Juma, Alisher and Said – were detained on May 6 this year by officers from the Vahdat organized crime control department on suspicion of extortion money from local resident Qudratullo Nazarov.
“Speaking at the trial, Jamshed and his friends said that they suffered torture during the preliminary investigation,” Jamshed’s father, Safarali Narzulloyev, told Asia-Plus in an interview.
According to him, police officers poured boiling water over them, severely beat them and used electric shock during interrogations to extort confessions.
“Bobobek Pirov, the defense lawyer for our son, saw traces of electric current burn on his hands and solicited for forensic medical examination,” Safarali Narzulloyev said, noting that he does not yet know about the examination results.
Meanwhile, Bobobek Pirov says that three officers from the Vahdat organized crime control department were questioned over the torture claims “and did not admit the fact.” “Moreover, the forensic medical examination was carried out and the torture claims were not confirmed,” the lawyer said.
Jamshed Narzulloyev’s parents have applied to the Coalition of NGOs Against Torture for legal assistance.
