DUSHANBE, November 29, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- The Political Council of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRP) released a statement today over a brutal murder of Tajik national in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.

We will recall that beheaded and burned body of Tajik national Bakhtiyor Rasoulov was found in his car on the outskirts of St. Petersburg on November 16.

Bakhtiyor Rasoulov had been a self-employed taxi-driver.    

In its statement, the IRP Political Council, in particular, notes that it is not the first act of cruelty and lawlessness committed on Tajik labor migrants in the Russian Federation.

“However, beheading is a dangerous signal and the public in Tajikistan and Russia must react to this,” said the statement, “Unfortunately, it has to be stated that Tajik labor migrants working in Russia have become pawn of political intrigues and criminals did not fail to use consequences of those intrigues.”

The IRP Political Council stresses that the Russian authorities have been taking measures in recent days to stabilize the situation that emerged around Tajik migrant workers, “but separate politicians are continuing to worsen the situation for mercenary ends.”

The IRP Political Council expresses confidence that the Government of Tajikistan will take all necessary measures to protect lives and interests of Tajik nationals abroad and to ensure that killers of Bakhtiyor Rasoulov will be punished.

In the meantime, the representative office of Tajikistan’s Migration Service in Russia says that according the Russian law enforcement authorities, the murder of Bakhtiyor Rasoulov is a domestic homicide.  Bakhtiyor Rasoulov was allegedly killed by the brother of his mistress, who was released from prison recently.  The search operation for the alleged murderer is under way, the source said.