Interior ministry launches internal investigation into death of man who died after one-day police custody

The Interior Ministry has launched an internal investigation into the death of Abdurasoul Nazarov who died in Dushanbe after one-day police custody.

“The Interior Ministry launched the internal investigation on April 4 to establish whether officers from Sino-2 police station are really guilty of the death of Abdurasoul Nazarov or not,” Umarjon Emomali, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry told Asia-Plus in an interview.  

Recall, resident of the city of Kulob, Abdurasoul Nazarov, who was temporarily living with his family in Dushanbe, was detained by officers from police station Sino-2 in Dushanbe’s Sino district on March 28 on suspicion of being involved in drug trafficking.

On March 29, police officers took Nazarov to the Qariyai Bolo Hospital.  Meanwhile a source at the Qariyai Bolo Hospital says Nazarov was already dead when police officers were taking him to the hospital. 

An official source at the law enforcement authorities says Nazarov had a heart attack when he was taken to the police station and he died on the way to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Nazarov’s wife, Sadbarg Bobokhonova, says there were traces of beating on her husband’s body. 

The Dushanbe chief prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the death of Abdurasoul Nazarov. 

Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, locally known as Radio Ozodi, on March 30 quoted a source at the investigative bodies as saying, “The preliminary examination has established that Abdurasoul Nazarov’s heart stopped because of overdose.”  “But this is just a preliminary conclusion. Investigation is under way and the final conclusion will be announced later,” the source added.