A 20-year-old Tohir Habibov, a soldier of a military unit of the Ministry of Defense (MoD) deployed in Kulob, has reportedly shot himself to death.
A source at a MoD says the incident took place on October 26. Tohir Habibov reportedly shot himself while being on guard duty.
Tohir Habibov was drafted last autumn from the Ishkashim district of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).
The Main Military Prosecutor-Office has launched an investigation into the incident. By defense minister’s order a special commission has been set up to study the cause of the incident.
Meanwhile, some experts are worrying out about the state of discipline and morale among the armed forces in the country.
Human rights organizations in Tajikistan have criticized the government for not doing enough to stop hazing in the military.
In a recent change, Tajikistan’s government now allows soldiers to telephone the military prosecutor's office to report alleged hazing.
