Prosecutor’s office and Ombudsman investigating death of farmer in Uzun district Internal Affairs Department

On February 27, Kun.uz reported that Tohir Hayitov, who had been questioned in connection with the murder case, passed away, and his body showed signs of torture. The spokesperson for the Prosecutor General’s Office, Hayot Shamsutdinov, informed Kun.uz that a pre-investigation inquiry is underway regarding the incident.

Additionally, Ombudsman’s regional representatives are also investigating the case, and an official statement will be released once their findings are complete. This was confirmed by the Ombudsman’s press secretary, Fotima Madrahimova, in a statement to Kun.uz.

The investigation revealed that just hours before his death, Tohir Hayitov was sentenced to six days of administrative detention on a commonly used charge. Furthermore, discrepancies were found in the court's ruling. As a result, the Supreme Judicial Council announced that a service investigation had been initiated against the investigating judge, Azamberdi Alikulov, who issued the ruling.

“The possibility of a violation of the Judicial Code of Ethics in the examination of the administrative violation case involving T. H. (the deceased) was raised, prompting a service investigation against A. Alikulov, the investigating judge of the Uzun District Court in Surkhandarya,” stated the Supreme Judicial Council.

For reference, on February 15, a murder occurred in Surkhandarya in which three members of a family were killed. As part of the investigation, many men from the region were summoned for questioning at the Uzun District Internal Affairs Department. Among them was 50-year-old farmer Tohir Hayitov, who was taken by law enforcement officers, held at the department for two days, and later died on February 25 from a “heart attack.” Relatives of the deceased told Kun.uz that there were signs of torture on his body, and they suspect that the crime may have been falsely attributed to him.