DUSHANBE, March 14, 2014, Asia-Plus – The problem of “dedovshchina,” the often brutal hazing of new recruits by older soldiers, is still widespread in the Tajik army.

Medic of military unit 20/26 deployed in the Roudaki district, Usmon Ghayratov, has severely beaten soldier Shahbol Mirzoyev.

“Shahbol, who is currently in Qariyai Bolo hospital in Dushanbe, suffered a broken neck and paralyzed leg,” Shahbol Mirzoyev’s father, Numon Mirzoyev, told Asia-Plus in an interview.

According to Shahbol Mirzoyev, he went to see a doctor for toothache on March 6.  “Later, medic Ghayratov together with other medics began to mock at me and beat me up for no reason,” Shahbol said.  According to him, mostly Ghayratov was beating him up.

As a result of the beating, Shahbol Mirzoyev suffered a broken neck, paralyzed left leg and injured hands.  He was taken to the hospital only 15 hours after the incident.

Numon Mirzoyev says that his son graduated from the Faculty of Law at the Khujand State University and he joined the army voluntarily.

“There is information that Usmon Ghayratov’s father works at prosecutor’s office.  I do not know exactly at what prosecutor’s office he works, but they say that Usmon Ghayratov allows himself severe treatment of soldiers because his father works at prosecutor’s office,” Numon Mirzoyev noted.