DUSHANBE, March 31, Asia-Plus — The issue of extradition of two Tajik nationals – the 25-year-old Masrurjon Yatimov and the 20-year-old Najmiddin Muhiddinov, who are suspected of having killed Russian TV Channel One reporter Ilyas Shurpayev — to the Russian Federation will be discussed at a level of chief prosecutors of the two countries, Mahmadali Shafoatov, an aide to Tajik interior minister, announced at a press conference in Dushanbe today.
According to him, as the suspects are citizens of Tajikistan, under the Minsk Convention of 1993 they will not be extradited to Russia and the Tajik side will conduct the investigation.
The suspects pleaded guilty and real evidences – gold watch and 150,000 Russian rubles (RR) – were confiscated from Yatimov, the aide said.
Shafoatov stressed that Shurpayev’s murder is not connected with his professional activities.
Speaking to reporters, Haidar Mahmadiyev, an official with a MoI, said that according to the detainees’ testimonies, they met Ilyas Shurpayev on March 18 at the monument to Plevna Heroes near the subway station Kitay-Gorod, which is traditional place for meetings of sexual minorities. “Shurpayev allegedly proposed them to have sex with him for money and they met with him several times in his rented apartment,” Mahmadiyev said. “On the night of March 21, Yatimov and his acquaintance N. Muhiddinov came to Shurpayev’s apartment for the purpose of robbing him; they knew that he had received RR 150,000,” said the MoI official. “Ilyas Shurpayev tried to offer resistance to them and they decided to kill him.”
The next day after the murder, they left Moscow for Tajikistan.
Masrurjon Yatimov and Najmiddin Muhiddinov were detained Saturday morning.
Russian police officers gave Tajik MoI pointers to find them. The brother of Najmiddin Muhiddinov, who faces charge of not reporting the crime, was also detained.
Officers from the Russian law enforcement agencies who arrived in Dushanbe last Friday will stay in Tajikistan until the investigation is completed.
According to Russian media, Ilyas Shurpayev was killed in a rented apartment in Moscow on March 21. The killer set the apartment to fire, and the journalist’s body was found by firemen. He had a belt around his neck. The Moscow bureau of the Prosecutor General’s Office Investigation Committee opened the criminal case on the murder charges. Shurpayev was buried at a Muslim cemetery in his hometown of Makhachkala, Dagestan on March 25.
