The Chairman of GBAO responded to the mother of Ziyobekov

Alisher Mirzonabotov emphasized in his letter that no one has the right to call Ziyobekov a “criminal,” as this is illegal.

Photo: Internet

As reported by Radio Ozodi, the chairman of GBAO Alisher Mirzonabotov responded to Ziyobekov’s mother that he cannot be called a criminal, as according to the country’s legislation, a citizen is not a criminal until convicted by a court.

Pevistamokh Abdulmu’minova, the mother of Gulbidin Ziyobekov, has been seeking accountability for her son’s murder since November 25, 2021. She has repeatedly written to the country’s leadership, including the regional chairman, the Supreme Court, the Executive Office of the President, and President Emomali Rahmon himself, but her demands have not yet been met.

In her recent appeal, published on social media on May 4, Gulbidin Ziyobekov’s mother stated:

“My son was brutally murdered. I wrote asking whether those who illegally killed my son would be held accountable. I am told that an investigation will be conducted. Five months have passed, but there are no results. They constantly claim that my son had a gun. I said it has not been proven that my son had a gun. He had no weapon.”

According to Tajik law, no one has the right to call someone a criminal until a court verdict is issued. However, this legal provision is constantly ignored by the authorities and the press regarding critics of Rahmon’s government and the opposition.

Pevistamokh Abdulmu’minova claims that for five months after her son’s murder, state television “TV Badakhshan” and other media in the region have referred to her son as a “criminal” and “leader of a criminal gang.”

On November 25, Gulbidin Ziyobekov was killed by law enforcement officers in the village of Tavdem in the Roshtkala district, with seven bullet wounds found on his body. The brutal murder of Gulbidin Ziyobekov sparked a wave of protests in Khorog. His mother brought her son’s body to the regional hukumat building in Ismoil Somoni Square in Khorog to ask the regional chairman why her son was killed in such a horrific manner.

The murder of Gulbidin Ziyobekov and his mother’s demands prompted hundreds of other protesters to join her and stage a protest, but in response, law enforcement began shooting at the crowd, resulting in two deaths and 17 injuries.