QURGHON TEPPA, July 26, 2012, Asia-Plus  – The trial of Mashraf Aliyev, the district police officers from the Yovon district, began in a court in Khatlon’s Yovon district on July 25.

We will recall that criminal proceedings have been instituted against Aliyev under the provisions of three articles of Tajikistan’s Penal Code: Article 143'' – torture; Article 109 – driving to suicide; and Article 316 – misuse of powers.

On April 29 this year, the underage resident of the village of Kulobod in the Yovon district, Khoushvakht Mahmadsaid, was found hanged at home after he was tortured and beaten by the district police officer Aliyev.  The relatives took Khoushvakht from the hook in time and he remained alive.  Khoushvakht Mahmadsaid was detained on suspicion of theft and the preliminary investigation reportedly established that Aliyev used torture and beating to extort a confession from the teenager.