A trial of two border guards charged with firing at fishermen began in Khujand on April 3. The Khujand military court is considering criminal proceedings instituted against them.
The tragedy took place on January 7. Recall, relatives of five residents of the Guliston settlement (Isfara district) – Qodirkhon Usmonkhojayev, Abubakr Boboyev and the Rahimov brothers Ghafourjon, Ghufronjon and Mirzobahrddin – have told Asia-Plus that they were fishing in the Syr Darya River not far from the Mahram jamoat, which is subordinate to the northern city of Konibodom. When they were going to return home several border guards came and said that it was prohibited to catch fish in that area.
The Isfara residents, for their part, reportedly said it was not banned to catch fish in that area and many people have been fishing there. The men then got into their car and set out. At this moment the border guards fried at the car.
As a result, Abubakr Boboyev and Qodirkhon Usmonkhojayev were seriously wound. Abubakr Boboyev died in a hospital in Konibodom on the same day, while Qodirkhon Usmonkhojayev died on February 21.
Meanwhile, a statement released by the Main Border Guard Directorate of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) on January 23 says the border guards fired at fishermen after the latters have attempted to escape.
According to the statement, border guards on a routine patrol stopped the car VAZ 2107 (number plate 3827 KK 02 RT) with five members on board not far from the Mahram settlement on January 7 at 9:20 pm for the purpose of knowing what they are doing in the area located in the immediate vicinity of the border, but the driver tried to escape for unknown reasons and hit one of the border guards.
The border guards reportedly fired a warning shot into the air but the driver did not stop and they were forced to fire at the car.
