Two Interior Ministry employees accused of the death of a detainee have been released under amnesty

The Supreme Court of Tajikistan issued a verdict on July 24 of this year regarding five employees of the Internal Affairs Department of the capital’s Sino district, who were accused in the death of 36-year-old resident of Kulob, Maksudjon Saidov.

According to Radio Ozodi, citing its sources, out of the five defendants, three were sentenced to imprisonment for a term of 5 to 13 years, while two were released from criminal liability under the law “On Amnesty.”

According to the source, police officer Obidzoda from Sino was sentenced to 13 years in prison for intentionally causing serious harm to health. Previously, the prosecution had requested 17 years of imprisonment for him.

Regarding another employee of this department, Rustam Yodgorzoda, the prosecution also requested 5 years of imprisonment, however, the court released him from criminal liability based on the law “On Amnesty.” Two other police officers were sentenced to 5 years in prison. Another defendant was released from paying a fine in accordance with the amnesty law. The names and details of the verdict regarding these three have not been officially published.

The employees of the Internal Affairs Department were detained following the death of Kulob resident Maksudjon Saidov. According to sources, there was also a sixth defendant in the case, but it is currently unknown who he is and where he is located.

Maksudjon Saidov was detained on January 8, 2026, on charges of distributing and selling the narcotic substance “crystal,” but later died in the police department under unclear circumstances. At that time, it was reported that the Kulob Department of Internal Affairs stated that the police officers from the capital’s Sino district conducted an operation in Kulob without their knowledge, and they were unaware of it.

According to relatives, law enforcement officers then demanded to bury Saidov’s body as soon as possible. The body, as claimed by relatives, showed signs of torture, including burn marks on the fingers of the hands and feet. These demands from law enforcement further intensified suspicions regarding the causes of his death.

Relatives of Saidov have not commented on this case to date. It is unknown how they reacted to the court’s verdict.

The issue of the use of torture on detainees to obtain confessions has recently raised serious concerns.

The UN Committee Against Torture expressed concern in May 2026 over ongoing reports of torture and ill-treatment, particularly by police officers and other law enforcement agencies during detentions and interrogations. Additionally, the Coalition Against Torture in Tajikistan reported on July 22 of this year that in 2025, there were 21 recorded cases of torture and ill-treatment of detainees, 20 of which were related to the structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.