DUSHANBE, January 30, Asia-Plus – The 20-year-old soldier of military unit 0123 of the Ministry of Defense (MoD) stationed in the city of Khorog, Abdumalik Bohirov, was found hanged in one of half-finished buildings in the city on January 18, Farmon Sharipov, Military Prosecutor of the Khorog Garrison, told Asia-Plus on Wednesday.
According to him, the GBAO military prosecutor’s office has instituted criminal proceedings on charge of driving to suicide.
Abdumalik Bohirov was conscripted from Sughd’s Konibodom district in 2007.
Tajik law enforcement authorities say that it is already the third case of suicide among soldiers reported in the country this month. The first two cases were registered in the Sughd province.
The 27-year-old soldier of military sub-unit 2042 of Tajik National Guard stationed in Sughd’s Spitamen district, Safarjon Hotamov, committed suicide by self-hanging on January 17. On January 11, a soldier of sub-unit 3501 of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) deployed in Sughd also committed suicide by self-hanging.
Experts say that it cannot be ruled that the reason for the suicide cases among soldiers is “dedovshchina,” the often brutal hazing of new recruits by older soldiers.
We will recall that speaking to journalists at a press conference in Dushanbe, Sayfullo Giyoyev, chairman of the military board of the Supreme Court, said that 616 servicemen were convicted in Tajikistan last year. He noted that 80 of them had been granted amnesty.
According to Giyoyev, the servicemen were convicted mainly of charges of desertion, bullying fellow conscripts and driving to suicide.
