Soldier hospitalized with gunshot wound says he shot himself accidentally

Najmiddin Qayumov, a soldier of one of military units of the Ministry of Defense (MoD) deployed in Dushanbe, who was hospitalized on February 8 with gunshot wound to his head, was transferred from Qariyai Bolo Medical Center to the central hospital of the Ministry of Defense (MoD) today.   

“Najmiddin Qayumov said in the presence of his parents the he shot himself in the head by an accident while handing over his assault rifle to the arms room,” an official source at a MoD told Asia-Plus in an interview.

We will recall that the MoD representatives had previously characterized the incident as an attempted suicide.

Najmiddin Qayumov was taken to Qariyai Bolo Medical Center with gunshot wounds on February 8 and he came out of coma on February 13.

Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reports that fellow soldiers said Najmiddin Qayumov shot himself with an AK-47 assault rifle.

Najmiddin Qayumov was reportedly drafted in the army in autumn 2014.

Media reports said Qayumov may have attempted to commit suicide after being a victim of hazing, a persistent problem within Tajikistan's military.

In June 2014, a sergeant and a doctor in the Tajik military were sentenced to prison terms for involvement in separate violent hazing incidents.