In Tajikistan, the Military Court of the Khujand garrison sentenced 29-year-old junior sergeant Mukhriddin Islomov to five years in prison in a general regime colony, finding him guilty of “abuse of power or official position, exceeding official or official authority” (Part 1 of Article 391 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Tajikistan ). Radio Ozodi reports this.
The editors have at their disposal a copy of the verdict, which states that Islomov violated the statutory rules of relations between military personnel. On January 14, 2022, he shaved the word “Conybodom” onto the heads of nine recruits—one letter per person. This is the Tajik name of the city of Kanibadam in the Sughd region, the small homeland of soldiers. Thus, Islomov allegedly wanted to show his physical superiority over his young colleagues. The incident occurred at the Chorkuh border post in Isfara.
At the trial, Islomov stated that he “regrets what he did.” His lawyer called on the court to dismiss the case, citing his client’s positive characterization. A Radio Ozodi source reported that the judge handed down the sentence taking into account mitigating circumstances.
This is not the only case of hazing in Tajikistan recently. In April 2023, a video appeared on social networks showing senior soldiers beating young colleagues in the face with their hands, hitting young colleagues in the head with a board, and kicking them in the stomach. The investigation established that it was filmed at the end of 2022 in the military unit of the border troops of the State Committee for National Security in Kanibadam. A criminal case was opened, and as a result, the officer and seven soldiers were sentenced to imprisonment for terms ranging from 9 to 11 years.
