The Khatlon Regional Court has sentenced a 35-year-old Madina Halimova to 20 years in prison for the murder of her children.
The tragic incident occurred during the night of June 29–30, when the woman jumped into a river with her four children. Three of the children were later found dead, while the search for the fourth — a five-year-old boy — is still ongoing.
Judge Habibullo Saidalizoda, who presided over the case, spoke with Asia-Plus on October 13 and revealed details of the high-profile case. According to him, the woman’s actions were motivated by “intense jealousy and a mental disorder.”
“Halimova suspected that her husband had taken a second wife, which triggered a nervous breakdown. However, these suspicions were unfounded. A medical examination did not find any hereditary mental illness, but confirmed she suffers from a disorder that intensifies under stress,” the judge explained.
The court found Halimova guilty under Article 104 of the Criminal Code of Tajikistan — murder — and sentenced her to 20 years in prison. The verdict has not yet come into legal force, and Halimova and her family have 10 days to appeal.
Initially, criminal proceedings were also instituted against her husband, but due to lack of evidence, the charges were dropped. “Halimova herself confirmed that her husband was innocent — she had only suspected him. Upon realizing this, she admitted her actions were impulsive,” said Saidalizoda.
At present, the convicted woman is being held in a pretrial detention facility and will be transferred to a prison after the legal procedures are completed.
Halimova and her relatives have not yet made any public statements regarding the verdict. Earlier, her family claimed that her actions were the result of a mental illness, while her lawyer argued the tragedy stemmed solely from extreme jealousy.
The story gained widespread attention after reports of the incident began circulating on social media. Local authorities described the case as “horrific.”
This tragedy was one of several shocking incidents to occur in Tajikistan around the same time. In one case, a woman in Qubodiyon district of Khatlon province stabbed her three children, one of whom later died. She was sentenced to 28 years in prison. In another incident, a man tied his son to a car and dragged him along a road, resulting in the child's death. That case has already moved to a court, but a verdict has yet to be announced.
