Tajikistan’s Human Rights Ombudsman, Umed Bobozoda, has sent official appeals to Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova and Children’s Rights Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova regarding the killing of 10-year-old Tajik citizen Qobiljon Aliyev in in a school xenophobia-related attack in in Gorki-2 settlement, Odintsovo district, Moscow region.
In his letter, Bobozoda expressed deep concern over the death of the child at a school in the Moscow region, noting that available information suggests the crime was motivated by ethnic hatred. The ombudsman strongly condemned the incident.
“This tragedy has caused profound pain to the child’s family and sparked serious concern within Tajik society,” Bobozoda said.
He urged the Russian authorities to ensure a comprehensive, transparent, and impartial investigation and to hold all those responsible accountable in accordance with the law. The appeal also emphasized that protecting the lives, safety, and rights of children must remain a top priority for all states and educational institutions.
“No circumstances, administrative failures, or negligence can justify violence or disregard toward children,” Bobozoda stressed.
He further called for effective measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future, including strengthened school security and enhanced psychological and physical protection for students.
Earlier, the Tajik government has publicly demanded an “immediate, objective, and impartial investigation” into the boy’s murder, calling it a crime motivated by national hatred. Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the killing of Qobiljon Aliyev as an act of ethnic hatred and delivered an official note to Russia’s ambassador to Tajikistan, Semyon Grigoryev. Tajik Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda also demanded a thorough and objective investigation and fair punishment for those responsible.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the case had been referred to Russia’s Investigative Committee and Interior Ministry to clarify all circumstances and provide necessary support to the Tajik side.
Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu held a phone call with his Tajik counterpart, Yusuf Rahmon, to discuss the incident. According to the Russian Security Council’s press service, law enforcement agencies are taking all necessary measures to ensure an objective investigation.
Qobiljon was stabbed to death at his school by a 15-year-old ninth-grader identified as Timofey K.
Before Tuesday’s bloodshed began, Timofey K. approached a group of children and a teacher at the school and asked about their nationality. He recorded this exchange on his phone and later shared it on Telegram. When a security guard advanced, Timofey K. doused him in pepper spray and stabbed the man before chasing Qobiljon Aliyev up the stairs and fatally wounding him.
Media reports say Timofey K. was dressed in gear bearing slogans linked to mass killings. On his vest was the phrase “No Lives Matter,” a term associated with a subculture that imitates mass attackers and far-right groups. Other slogans referred to Anders Breivik’s 2011 Norway attacks and past assaults on schools and places of worship in the United States and New Zealand. Before the attack, he sent classmates a “manifesto” condemning Muslims, Jews, and the left generally, and advocating the need to “correct” the so-called “Great Replacement” — a far-right conspiracy theory claiming that white European populations are deliberately being replaced by non-white peoples, especially from Muslim-majority countries.
The body of Qobiljon Aliyev was returned to Tajikistan in coffin Thursday morning. Qobiljon is accompanied by his mother, Niloufar Aliyeva, and other family members. He was laid to rest in his native village of Ajami in Akram Hasanov jamoat, Shahrinav district, with funeral prayers led by Tajikistan’s Grand Mufti, Saidmukarram Abdulqodirzoda.
The Russian authorities have stopped short of calling the killing a hate crime. Statements by federal investigators have not mentioned a motive. Criminal proceedings have been instituted against the killer under articles related to murder and attempted murder of Russia’s Criminal Code. The investigation is under way.
