A Tajik national has been arrested in Russia after expressing his views on the killing of the 10-year-old Tajik child Qobiljon Aliyev, who was killed in a school xenophobic attack in Moscow region. The news was reported by the Sova Human Rights Center in Russia, which identified the young man as Saidnazar Hojimurodov.
According to the source, Hojimurodov, 25, was detained on December 19, and criminal proceedings were instituted against him on charges of "inciting national and ethnic hatred." The man, who was renting an apartment in Moscow, had criticized the Russian government and Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia's Investigative Committee, in a video. His comments were harsh and laced with offensive language, accusing the authorities of disregarding crimes based on xenophobia.
In his video, Hojimurodov stated, "If a person is killed here in Russia by Tajik or a person from Tajikistan, the media would immediately point fingers at his nationality." He called this "unfair," emphasizing that "Tajiks are constantly being killed in Russia, but the society remains indifferent."
The video was later shared by the radical Telegram Mnogonatsional channel (literally means a Multi-National or Interethnic channel), which called for Khojimurodov's arrest.
However, according to the Sova Human Rights Center, while Hojimurodov’s emotional statements could be seen as inciting national and religious hatred, there was no clear promotion of violence or justification for it. Therefore, the center argues there is no valid reason for instituting criminal proceedings under Article 282, Part 1 of the Russian Criminal Code, which deals with the incitement of hatred or contempt, as well as the humiliation of human dignity.
Hojimurodov has no prior criminal record related to extremism. The Human Rights Center further pointed out that law enforcement authorities should only have opened an administrative case under Article 20.3.1 of Russia’s Code of Administrative Offenses, which also deals with inciting hatred and contempt.
Russian authorities have not officially commented on the case.
As it had been reported earlier, Qobiljon Aliyev, a 10-year-old Tajik boy, was murdered in a school in the Moscow region on December 16 by a 15-year-old Russian citizen who reportedly acted out of "national hatred." Qobiljon was buried on December 18 in the Shahrinav district of Tajikistan, and the suspect in the murder was placed in pre-trial detention for two months.
Following the attack, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Moscow Region opened a criminal case under Article 105 (Murder), Part 3 of Article 30 (Preparation for a Crime and Attempted Crime), and Part 2 of Article 105 of the Russian Criminal Code. An investigation is underway.
The incident has sparked widespread reactions both in Tajikistan and internationally. The community is calling not only for the punishment of the murderer but also for a strong condemnation of the underlying cause of this heinous crime—nationalism and xenophobia in Russia.
The Tajik government has publicly demanded an “immediate, objective, and impartial investigation” into the boy’s murder, calling it a crime motivated by national hatred.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan called the crime an act of “national hatred” and the Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan, Semyon Grigoriyev, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he was handed a note demanding that the Russian side conducts an immediate, objective, and impartial investigation of this tragic incident and bring all those involved to justice to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Tajikistan's Interior Minister, Ramazon Rahimzoda, demanded that Russian authorities thoroughly and impartially investigate the murder and ensure that the guilty parties are justly punished.
Tajikistan's President, Emomali Rahmon, also raised the issue during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 22. Putin called the incident a “terrorist attack” and promised that “those responsible will be punished.”
