KULOB, May 12, 2009, Asia-Plus — The Khatlon military prosecutor’s office has investigated into death of Abdukholiq Hoshimov, a soldier of the sub-unit of the Ministry of Defense (MoD) deployed in Khatlon’s Vose district. Hoshimov shot himself with his sub-machine-gun Kalashnikov on April 4 this year.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the deputy Khatlon military prosecutor, Major Sulaymon Siddiqov, said that the preliminary investigation had shown that Hoshimov had committed suicide following family problems.
“According to soldiers, Abdukholiq Hoshimov, who was conscripted from the Sughd province, had an upsetting telephone conversation with his relatives on April 4 and most likely, that conversation psychologically undermined him,” Siddiqov said, noting that they have studied other versions, including bullying, as well.
Since the beginning of this year, the Khatlon military prosecutor’s has instituted three criminal proceedings on the “dedovshchina” (the often brutal hazing of new recruits by older soldiers) charges, Siddiqov said.
