A video appeal from a former employee of Tajikistan's internal affairs agencies has been circulating on social media for several days. In the video, the former Interior Ministry officer claims he was dismissed due to being overweight. He is appealing to the country’s president for help in getting his job back.
The man is 28-year-old Barzu Boboyev, who introduced himself as a former officer of the Main Directorate of the Fire Service under the Interior Ministry.
In a conversation with Asia-Plus, he shared details about the reasons for his dismissal and his current situation.
“Lose weight — and we’ll take you back”
According to Boboyev, he has been unable to find stable employment for nearly a year, and all his attempts to be reinstated in the Interior Ministry have been unsuccessful.
"In July 2024, the Interior Ministry gathered officers who were overweight. Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda approached me, listened, and said: 'You’re dismissed.' The official dismissal order came a month later," he said.
At the time, Boboyev weighed 125 kg. He claims he was not given time to lose weight. His current weight is 105 kg, but before the video was published, none of his appeals to the Interior Ministry had produced results.
“After the video was released, I was invited to the Dushanbe Police Directorate. In the personnel department, they checked my physical parameters and told me that if I lose another 6–10 kilograms, I may be reinstated,” he said.
Interior ministry’s position: "Excess weight means immobility"
The Interior Ministry did not specifically comment on Boboyev's case, but confirmed that physical requirements for employees are in place.
The Interior Ministry spokesperson Nusratullo Mahmadzoda told Asia-Plus that the minimum height requirement for male police officers is 168 cm, and 160 cm for female officers. Weight must be proportionate to height, and abdominal size must not be excessive.
"For example, if an officer is 170 cm tall and 30 years old, his weight should not exceed 70 kg," he explained. According to him, standards are stricter for younger officers, and “excess weight implies limited mobility."
Mahmadzoda also noted that some officers had been dismissed for this reason in the past but were reinstated after losing weight.
Boboyev hopes he will also be reinstated. He is currently training actively and plans to continue losing weight to return to his former position.
