A brutal killing in the village of Sarichashma, in the Gulkhona jamoat of Jabbor-Rasoulov district in the northern province of Sughd has left a community in shock. Authorities confirmed that a 38-year-old Zarif Abdurahimov was murdered in his home on the night of June 28, in front of two of his children.
Murder during the night: demands for money, violence against children
According to Tuychiboy Otamurodzoda, deputy head of the Gulkhona jamoat, the incident occurred around 2:00–2:30 am when unknown assailants broke into Abdurahimov's home, stabbed him 3–4 times, and killed him on the spot.
“The attackers demanded money from the victim. It is unclear whether they obtained any. They gagged the mouths of his 14- and 16-year-old children with tape and beat them with chains,” Otamurodzoda told Asia-Plus over the phone on July 2.
The children survived and are now in stable condition under medical supervision. No information has been released about the victim’s third child or the whereabouts of the mother during the attack.
Abdurahimov, a father of three, was reportedly killed inside his own home, but officials have not disclosed who found his body or alerted authorities.
Case ‘solved’, but suspects not yet arrested
District Deputy Prosecutor Suhrob Sattorzoda confirmed the incident and stated that the crime has been "solved" and the investigation is ongoing, but declined to provide further details to avoid interfering with legal proceedings. The suspects remain at large.
Despite repeated inquiries, authorities have not provided a timeline for arrests or explained the delay in apprehending those allegedly responsible.
Violent crime on the rise
This case comes amid a rising trend in violent crimes across Tajikistan. In 2024 alone, 75 cases of murder and attempted murder have been recorded, 18 more than in the previous year.
The Interior Ministry has not commented on the surge in violent crime. However, observers point to last year’s mass killings in Sughd’s Konibodom city, where 23 members of seven families were murdered in a series of brutal attacks.
The General Prosecutor’s Office arrested four individuals in connection with those crimes; investigations are ongoing.
A community in mourning, a Family in trauma
The murder of Zarif Abdurahimov and the assault on his children have left the village of Sarichashma in mourning and raised new concerns about security in rural communities.
As the investigation continues, local residents are left asking: If the case is solved, why are the suspects still free?
