On November 12, the Dushanbe Police Directorate released further details about a deadly altercation between school students that took place on November 9 in the city’s Firdavsi district. As a result of the fight, one teenager was killed, and another sustained serious injuries.
The incident had sparked public outrage after a video of the altercation spread widely on social media.
According to Dushanbe police, the conflict originated from a verbal disagreement between the two groups on social media, which escalated into violence. The main instigators of the altercation were identified as N. Rahmatshozoda and A. Rajabov. During the confrontation, the teenagers used sharp objects, including knives. Police reports confirm that Rahmatshozoda delivered multiple knife strikes to Rajabov, resulting in Rajabov’s death on the spot.
Another teenager, identified as Sh. Sharifov, was severely injured and rushed to the hospital.
In response to the incident, a criminal case has been opened under Article 104 of Tajikistan’s Penal Code, which pertains to "intentional murder."
Rahmatshozoda has been arrested, and the investigation is ongoing. The crime carries a potential sentence of 8 to 15 years in prison.
The ages of the suspect and the victims have not been disclosed, and authorities are continuing to investigate the involvement of other individuals in the altercation. Police have released images showing around 15 people believed to be connected to the incident. The opinions of the teenagers’ families regarding the events are currently unavailable.
This incident follows a similar attack earlier this year, in which a teenager stabbed his peer during a conflict in Dushanbe’s Sino district. In that case, the assailant, identified as U.P., repeatedly stabbed B.R., who was hospitalized for his injuries. At the time, law enforcement officials stressed that knife attacks among teenagers were becoming a serious problem and required immediate intervention from parents and educators.
Since 2019, Tajikistan has been conducting the “Knife” operation, a preventive initiative aimed at curbing violence and confiscating cold weapons from youth.
