A 21-year-old resident of Dushanbe, Saymuddin Nozirov, has been arrested by the city’s police on suspicion of corrupting a minor.
According to the Dushanbe Police Department, preliminary investigations revealed that Nozirov maintained intimate relations with a 13-year-old girl from Shohmansour district of the capital for an extended period and committed immoral acts against her.
The Shohmansour district prosecutor's office has instituted criminal proceedings against him under Article 142 of Tajikistan’s Criminal Code, which deals with "immoral acts." Investigations are ongoing.
The Interior Ministry also highlighted a worrying rise in crimes related to sexual offenses and violations of sexual integrity; an investigation is under way.
In November 2023, Tajikistan’s parliament toughened penalties for corrupting minors. Amendments to Article 142 of the Criminal Code introduced a third part to the article, which stipulates that crimes committed against two or more individuals under the age of 14 now carry prison sentences ranging from 5 to 8 years, along with a lifetime ban from holding certain positions (previously, the maximum sentence was up to 5 years).
Other sections of the Criminal Code also address crimes against sexual integrity. For example, Article 138 (rape) carries a punishment of 7 to 12 years in prison, and in case of a repeat offense, from 12 to 25 years. Article 139 (sexual assault) prescribes a sentence of 7 to 10 years, while Article 141 (sexual intercourse or other sexual acts with a person under 16) provides for imprisonment from 2 to 10 years.
