Two residents of Yangiqurghon village in Shahriston district of Sughd province have been detained on suspicion of murdering 36-year-old Farrukh Ashirmatov, the regional police department reported.
According to investigators, 30-year-old Uktam Zoidov and 27-year-old Shahzod Jonigitov allegedly stabbed Ashirmatov 38 times and then threw his body into the Syr Darya River.
The incident reportedly occurred on December 15. The suspected motive is a financial dispute linked to an unpaid bank loan.
Police claim one of the suspects took out a loan in his own name on behalf of Ashirmatov, who then failed to repay it. The suspects allegedly lured Ashirmatov to a secluded area in Khujand under the pretext of a meeting to “teach him a lesson,” which ended in a fatal confrontation.
In a video released by the Interior Ministry’s Office in Sughd province, the suspects appear to confirm these details. However, it remains unclear under what conditions the video was recorded and whether the suspects’ legal rights were upheld during questioning.
The views of the suspects or the victim’s family have not been publicly stated.
Criminal proceedings have been instituted under Article 104 of Tajikistan’s Criminal Code – murder, which carries a sentence of 15 years to life imprisonment; an investigation is under way.
This incident is the second high-profile murder in Sughd Province in recent months. Earlier, a court sentenced a 20-year-old resident of Zafarobod district to 24 years in prison for killing a 19-year-old woman who had rejected his marriage proposal.
According to investigators, the man was in a relationship with the victim, Charos Asrorova. In September 2025, he allegedly stabbed her 16 times and then set her body on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence. He was found guilty under of Article 104 (2) of Tajikistan’s Criminal Code — murder with exceptional cruelty.
The Interior Ministry identified the convicted man as Shahboz Nourulloyev. The killing was reportedly motivated by revenge after the woman declined his proposal.
The convict’s own statement, as well as comments from his legal representative or family, were not made public at the time of reporting.
