A press release from Dushanbe International Airport (DIA) says a total of 1,585 bodies of Tajik citizens were returned to Tajikistan via DIA last year. This reportedly marks an increase of 430 coffins (or 37%) compared to the previous year.
While the countries from which the bodies were repatriated are not specified, it is likely that most of them came from Russia. Every year, hundreds of Tajik migrants working and residing in Russia fall victim to accidents on construction sites, car crashes, illnesses, or even murders.
For instance, on January 11, three members of a Tajik family were brought back to their homeland after dying from natural gas poisoning in Russia. The deceased were buried in their native village of Shedroud, located in the Kushoniyon district of Khatlon province.
Earlier in December 2025, the body of the 10-year-old Qobiljon Aliyev, who was killed in a school xenophobic attack in the Moscow region on December 16, was delivered to Dushanbe. The boy was buried in the Shahrinav district.
The Civil Aviation Agency has not provided statistics for the repatriation of bodies through other airports in the country.
Meanwhile, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, known locally as Radio Ozodi, reported that 38 coffins were delivered through Kulob International Airport (KIA) in 2025, a decrease of 24 compared to the previous year.
No data is available regarding airports in Khujand and Bokhtar, nor for ground transportation.
