DUSHANBE, August 15, 2012, Asia-Plus – Lawyers of D.K., who is suspected of the murder of President Rahmon’s brother-in-law, have denied a statement by the Prosecutor-General’s Office that the murder suspect allegedly did not repudiate his previous testimony as absolutely unfounded.
We will recall that Jamshed Sangov, an official with Prosecutor-General’s Office told Asia-Plus in an interview that he and the prosecutor-general visited D.K. recently and he allegedly told them that he had not repudiated his previous testimony. According to Sangov, lawyers may visit their client without any problems.
Meanwhile, D.K.’s lawyers say their client repudiated his previous testimony on July 26 during investigative action in the territory of the Dushanbe police temporary detention facility. They say D.K. was tortured for confession to the murder of Kholmumin Safarov. The lawyers say their client was also being subjected to psychological torture including threats to his family.
One of D.K.’s lawyers, Jouraboy Sufiyev, says the lawyers have failed to meet with D.K. so far.
We will recall that Tajik law enforcement officials noted that the suspect in the murder of Kholmumin Safarov, the brother-in-law of Tajikistan”s President Emomali Rahmon, was detained in Dushanbe on July 14. Tajik Interior Affairs Ministry officials said at a press conference that the suspect was detained following a lengthy undercover operation, and that a search is continuing for accomplices. The name, age, and other details about the suspect were not disclosed.
As it had been reported earlier, Kholmumin Safarov, 57, was found dead after being shot by unknown assailants on June 13. Police say Safarov was shot in the head, chest, and stomach. The shooting is reported to have occurred as he was returning to his home after evening prayers at a nearby mosque.
A native of Khatlon’s Vose district, Safarov, the husband of Rahmon”s eldest sister, had been serving as chief of the Tajik government”s forest and hunting agency. Some media sources say that while many of the president”s relatives control major Tajik companies and banks, Safarov wasn”t known to be involved in big business.
