DUSHANBE, April 14, 2014, Asia-Plus – Chief prosecutor of the Vakhsh district in Khatlon province, Yusufjon Yusufzoda, has commented on the death of Nizomiddin Homidov, who died in Vakhsh police station after being detained by local police officers.
Mr. Yusufzoda says that an external examination of the body of Nizomiddin Homidov was carried out in the presence of his relatives, including his father Junaydullo Homidov.
“There were no injuries on his body, except ligature mark,” said the prosecutor. “The forensic and physicotechnical examination must establish the fact of self-hanging.”
Experts from the Khatlon Center for Forensic and Medical Examination, Rahmatullo Mudinov and Qosimjon Esanov, have confirmed the prosecutor’s words. According to them, no traces of beating or torture were on the body of Nizomiddin Homidov.
We will recall that Nizomiddin Homidov, 26, died in the police station in the Vakhsh district next day after being detained by local police officers on the night of March 30-31 on suspicion of theft.
Homidov’s body was handed to his relatives on April 1.
Nizomiddin’s father, Junaydullo Homidov, 61, said the body carried traces of torture, including broken ribs and hematomas on his wrists and neck as well as along his back.
He accuses five officers of the Vakhsh police station of his son’s death and he has sent a letter to Tajik chief prosecutor Sherkhon Salimzoda with solicitation to thoroughly investigate the incident and to punish those guilty.
Meanwhile, the Vakhsh police station representatives said that Nizomiddin Homidov had allegedly committed suicide by self-hanging.
The Vakhsh prosecutor’s office has launched investigation into the death of Nizomiddin Homidov. Criminal proceedings have been instituted against Zaynuddin Nazriyev, who was in charge of the temporary holding cell at the Vakhsh police station on March 31. Criminal proceedings have been instituted against him under the provisions of Article 322 (2) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – negligence; an investigation is under way.
If convicted, Zaynuddin Nazriyev could face five years in prison.
