Surkhandarya farmer dies in custody during questioning in murder investigation

On February 15th of this year, a horrific murder occurred in the Uzun district of Surkhandarya, where unknown individuals killed a mother and her two children and set fire to their house to cover up the crime. Despite more than 10 days passing, the investigation team has not been able to identify the perpetrators.

According to information received by Kun.uz, the 50-year-old man, Tohir Hayitov, who was taken for questioning as part of the Uzun murder investigation, died in the IAD building.

Relatives of the deceased informed Kun.uz that Hayitov had lived in the neighborhood where the murder took place and was the head of the "Abdusalim Barlos" farming enterprise in the district. As part of the investigation, the IAD officers took all the men from the area, including Tohir Hayitov, for questioning.

“Our house was searched, and my father was taken away. Most people were questioned and released after 3-4 hours. But they held my father for two days, saying an investigation was underway and didn’t allow us to see him. The next day—on the morning of February 25th—we were told that he had died from a heart attack. My father had no history of heart problems and was healthy.

They didn't let us be present during the autopsy, and we weren't informed either. Who did this and why? No one is explaining. There are bruises on my father's hands, face, and body. We believe he was tortured and that an attempt was made to frame him for the crime. My father died in the IAD building.

Recently, members of the national investigative team joined the investigation. When we asked for my father's body, the IAD officers told us it was at a different district morgue. But it wasn't there. After we insisted, the district governor came and said it was at the morgue nearby," said the deceased's son.

Reports circulating online about Tohir Hayitov's death suggest that he had been tortured.

“As usual, the law enforcement officers tried to explain his death by attributing it to a health issue, but according to reports, Tohir Hayitov had been severely tortured for three days while in custody. He had managed to call his relatives and ask for help. However, while his relatives were trying to resolve the issue, he died during the investigation process,” the report says.

During Kun.uz’s investigation, it was found that a court order had been issued for Tohir Hayitov on February 24th. According to the court document, the deceased had been charged with a minor offense (Petty Mischief under Article 183 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) and sentenced to six days in administrative detention. However, the court document itself contained several inconsistencies.

In particular, the deceased’s relatives stated that “on February 23rd, the IAD officers searched their house and took Tohir Hayitov,” but the court document mentions that he had argued with someone in the Navruz neighborhood.

The court document also claims that Tohir Hayitov had insulted a person named U. Koraboyeva in a public place, although it later changed her name to “M. Jurayeva” in the document. Additionally, the court document did not clarify what the “other objective evidence collected during the case” referred to. The relatives were not informed about the court decision or the fact that their main breadwinner had been sentenced to six days in detention.

At 18:00 on February 24th, the “sentence began.” By the morning of February 25th, the man had died.

Kun.uz contacted the press secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Shohrukh Giyasov, for clarification, but he stated that “the prosecutor’s office may provide information.” The spokesperson for the Prosecutor General’s Office, Hayot Shamsuddinov, did not respond to Kun.uz’s inquiry.

The editorial team has access to special information regarding Tohir Hayitov's death, which states: “After being sentenced by the court, Tohir Hayitov was taken to the administrative detention center in Termiz, but while on the way, his health deteriorated, and he was taken to the Sariosiyo district emergency medical unit, where he passed away.”

Administrative detention – A classic approach

In the investigation of unsolved crimes, quick-response investigation teams have often used administrative detention as a method to bring in suspects. The individual under suspicion is charged with minor offenses such as petty mischief, insults, or failure to comply with law enforcement officers' lawful demands. Whether the person actually committed the offense is of little importance: courts are expected to follow through with the “formalities” and issue a ruling.

For example, in the case of Komil Allamjonov, a former official of the President’s Administration who was targeted in an assassination attempt, seven of his employees (bodyguard, driver, cook, etc.) were sentenced to 15 days in administrative detention for “failing to comply with law enforcement officers' demands.” This case was reviewed by the Supreme Court, and all those sentenced were acquitted.