DUSHANBE, May 31, 2016, Asia-Plus – Russian law enforcement authorities have instituted criminal proceedings against five Tajik nationals involved in a mass brawl that took place at Moscow Khovanskoye cemetery on May 14 this year.
Russia’s
Novaya Gazeta
reports that the detained Tajik migrants working at the Khovanskoye cemetery are charged with hooliganism (Article 213 of Russia’s Penal Code) and deliberate destruction of or deliberate damage to property (Article 167 of Russia’s Penal Code).
The term of administrative punishment of 17 of 22 Tajik migrants working at the Khovanskoyev cemetery ended on May 29, while Moscow’s Tverskoy court extended detention for remaining five Tajik nationals for two months, according to
Novaya Gazeta
.
Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service
reports the court has ruled that five Tajik nationals, including Jomi Chakalov, Shohimardon Ahmadov, Rahmiddin Sadrididnov, Hojiqurbon Bouriyev and Dilovar Yunusov, can be held in detention until the end of investigation.
We will recall that three Tajik nationals were killed and two dozen others were wounded in the mass brawl at the Khovanskoye cemetery that reportedly involved more than 200 people.
The
RIA
news agency quoted a cemetery official as saying people from Russia”s North Caucasus regions of Chechnya and Dagestan had attacked migrants from ex-Soviet Uzbekistan and Tajikistan working there, attempting to take over their jobs.
Quoting a police source,
TASS
news agency said ethnic Chechens, Dagestanis, Uzbeks and Tajiks were among those detained.
The police reportedly recovered from the scene an assault rifle Kalashnikov, 51 empty cartridge cases of different caliber, knuckles, knives, axes, sticks and metal pieces.
Tajikistan”s Interior Ministry has sent to Moscow its top expert in battling organized crime to help investigate the incident.
Russian police have launched a criminal inquiry into the incident on charges of two or more murders by an organized group, illicit trafficking of firearms, and premeditated hooliganism, (Articles 105, 222 and 213 of the Russian Criminal Code, respectively).
