KHUJAND, January 29, 2009, Asia-Plus — On January 27, two suicides and one suicide attempt case were reported in the northern Sughd province.
According to the Sughd police directorate, a female student at Khujand State University, the 18-year-old Dilafrouz Jourayeva from the Bobojonghafurov district, committed suicide on Tuesday, plunging from bridge into the Syrdarya River.
The 28-year-old resident of Khujand Bahrom Hojiboyev also committed suicide by plunging into the Syrdarya River.
The same day, the 9th grade high school student from the Ayni district, A.B., attempted to committed suicide by self-hanging following family quarrel. Fortunately, his parents managed to rescue him. He is currently at the central district hospital.
Local prosecutor’s offices have instituted criminal proceedings to investigate into the cases.
According to the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), the Sughd province is experiencing particularly rapid growth in suicide, and the majority are men, although female suicide is also rising at a faster rate than the national average.
Experts believe the poor state of Tajikistan’s economy is a contributory factor. The deputy prosecutor for Sughd, Muhabbat Urunova, says it is no coincidence that of the 188 cases recorded in January-October 2008, 150 involved unemployed people, according to IWPR. Adult men in particular may be driven to take desperate measures if their job or business venture falls through and they feel they have failed their family.
Some experts are now pressing for a research center to be set up to focus exclusively on the issue of suicide.
