DUSHANBE, May 30, 2013, Asia-Plus – The Dushanbe city court has upheld the ruling of a court in Dushanbe’s Sino district on payment of compensation to the widow of Safarali Sangov who died after he was beaten by police, Ms. Gulchehra Kholmatva, the lawyer for Sangov’s family, told Asia-Plus Thursday afternoon.

We will recall that the court in Dushanbe’s Sino district in March ordered the Interior Ministry to pay compensation to the widow of Safarali Sangov, who died after he was beaten in police station.

Safarali Sangov, 37, died after he was arrested on drug-related charges in March 2011.

Police initially said Sangov injured himself while trying to commit suicide.  Sangov''s relatives insisted he had been severely beaten while in custody.

A public outcry led to the arrest of two police officers, who were charged with negligence leading to Sangov''s death.  Two police officers, Abdurahmon Yoqubov and Qodir Hasanov, were arrested in October 2012.  Both policemen, however, were freed under a general amnesty decree before a trial could take place.

The district court ordered the Interior Ministry to pay 46,500 somoni (equivalent to some 10,000 U.S. dollars) to Sangov''s widow.