KHUJAND, September 16, 2009, Asia-Plus — Two servicemen of the border unit deployed in the Sughd province have been convicted for abuse and bullying.
A military court in Khujand, the capital of the Sughd province sentenced private soldier Qurbonqul Sanginboyev and junior sergeant Rafiqjon Rahmatov to one year in prison and one year of correctional labor respectively on September 15. Sanginboyev will serve his term in a high-security penal colony. The sentenced followed their conviction on the charge of abuse and bullying.
Sanginboyev was accused of using violence against other serviceman (Article 373, Part 2) and Rahmatov was accused of exceeding his authority and administrative dereliction (Article 391, Part 1).
The source at the Khujand military court said that the investigation had established that Sanginboyev had repeatedly used violence against private soldier Azam Tangirov. “Tangirov could not stand constant humiliation and brutal hazing any more and shot at his leg on from assault rifle AK-74 on July 21 this year,” the source said.
Local experts say “dedovshchina,” the often brutal hazing of new recruits by older soldiers remains a serious problem in the Tajik army.
