DUSHANBE, July 22, 2014, Asia-Plus -- Deputy Interior minister, Abdullo Navjuvanov, has been appointed acting chief of the Interior Ministry’s office in the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).

An official source at the Interior Ministry’s office in GBAO says the presidential adviser on national security Sherali Khairulloyev introduced Abdullo Navjuvanov to the personnel of Interior Ministry’s office in GBAO on July 21.

According to him, Navjuvanov will retain his position as Deputy Interior Minister and he will act as chief of the Interior Ministry’s office in GBAO until appointment of a new chief of the GBAO police directorate.

Fayzullo Nozimov, who had been GBAO police chief since 2012, went on leave last May and he has not appeared in the region since that. 

We will recall that residents of Gorno Badakhshan in March this year complained of Fayzullo Nozimov’s using force against seven residents of the Rushan district.  One of them was hospitalized with a number of serious injuries.

After the deadly clashes that occurred in Khorog, the capital of Gorno-Badakhshan on May 21, protesters demanded the resignation of local police chief Fayzullo Nozimov.

Nozimov went on leave and according to some sources he has not appeared in the region since that.

Clashes in Khorog on May 21 left at least three people, including a police officer, dead and at least seven people, including three police officers, injured.  The fatalities occurred during a police offensive against suspected criminals and ensuing clashes between security forces and local residents upset with the police action.