A Tajik prosecutor asked the country's Supreme Court on February 26 to sentence former police Colonel Akmal Yusufzoda to 20 years in prison on a charge of kidnapping and murdering a university teacher. Ismoiljon Rahmonov died in June last year after unknown individuals kidnapped him and threw him with his hands bound into a river. Yusufzoda was arrested along with a relative, Ismoiljon Shukurov, for their alleged involvement in the crime. The prosecutor asked the court to sentence Shukurov to 12 years on a charge of aiding in Rahmonov's abduction. Investigators say Yusufzoda's actions were motivated by jealousy as he suspected Rahmonov had an affair with his wife. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Tajik Service, click here.
Tajik Prosecutor Seeks 20 Years In Prison For Police Officer Charged With Kidnapping, Murder
Former Tajik police officer Akmal Yusufzoda (right) is accused of abducting Ismoiljon Rahmonov (left) and killing him. (composite file photo)