The body of one more Tajik national, who was killed in Ukraine, will be returned to Tajikistan. The Tajik authorities do not comment on do on reports of the death of their citizens in Ukraine.
Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, known locally as Radio Ozodi, reported on February 6 that the 39-year-old Marsad Qurbonov was naïve of Roudaki district. He was killed in battle near the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
Maqsad Qurbonov was reportedly serving his jail term in a penal colony in the Russian city of Arkhangelsk.
His father, Faizullo Qurbonov, told Radio Ozodi that they were informed of his death on the evening of February 4. According to him, Maqsad left four children.
It is to be noted that Maqsad Qurbonov is not the first Russian pardoned Tajik prisoner killed in Ukraine.
Another Tajik national – the 27-year-old Zulfiqor Muhiddinov – who was pardoned to join the military operation in exchange for an amnesty was reportedly killed in a battle near Bakhmut recently.
Besides, the 47-year-old Bulbul Davlatshoyev, naïve of Dousti (formerly Jilikul) district in Khatlon province, was killed in Ukraine. One for Davlatshoyev’s relatives told Radio Ozodi in January that according to information from the Russian side, Bulbul Davlatshoyev joined the war in Ukraine on October 19, 2022. Bulbul’s brother, Eraj Davlatshoyev told Radio Ozodi that the Russian authorities “named the official cause of his death as a bullet wound to the chest and heavy bleeding.”
Bulbul’s relatives do not understand under what conditions he was sent to the war in Ukraine.
Most likely, Bulbul Davlatshoyev also joined the war in Ukraine in exchange for an amnesty.
Some media reports say Russia’s Wagner mercenary group has recruited prisoners to fight in Ukraine.
The BBC reported in September last year that the head of Russia's shadowy Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, has appeared in leaked footage attempting to recruit prisoners to fight in Ukraine. Mr. Prigozhin reportedly told prisoners their sentences would be commuted in exchange for service with his group.
While Russian law does not allow commutation of prison sentences in exchange for mercenary service, Mr. Prigozhin insisted that "nobody goes back behind bars" if they serve with his group, according to the BBC.
Tajikistan’s legislation stipulates that the participation of a mercenary in armed conflicts or battle operations is punishable by imprisonment for a period of 12 to 20 years.
There is still no accurate information about Russia pardoned Tajik prisoners citizens killed in the war in Ukraine.
Radio Ozodi says they are aware of the deaths of at least six Russian pardoned Tajik prisoners in Ukraine. The Tajik authorities do not comment on reports of the death of Tajik nationals in Ukraine.
