According to Fakhriddin Okkuziev, his younger brother Husniddin died of severe torture by policemen of Chirokchi district of Kashkadarya region.

32-year-old resident of Chordara village of Yakkabag district in Kashkadarya region, Husniddin Okkuziev, died after being brutally tortured by the officers at the Department of the Interior in Chirokchi district.

“Jarayon” learned about this horrific incident from Fakhriddin Okkuziev, elder brother of the deceased. According to him, Husniddin Okkuziev was taken to the police department on May 17, 2013, and was charged with an administrative offence.

– When I saw the body of my brother, I noticed that the big toe on his right foot and nails were broken. The whole stomach was covered in bruises. Four toes on his left foot were stitched with something. His neck was bruised and cut. The left hand was also cut. Before burying him, I recorded his body with a video camera. The video clearly shows severe wounds inflicted on him, – says Fakhriddin Okkuziev.

However, the district prosecutor’s office in Chirokchi opened a criminal case against several policemen of Department of Internal Affairs in the same district under article 169 (“robbery”) and 207 (“negligence”) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan only on 14 June 2013, a month after the crime was committed. According to investigators, the police was negligent leaving Khusniddin Okkuziev unattended in detention, and after his death, stole his mobile phone and used it for several days.

Brother of the deceased says that law enforcement officials took Khusniddin to the police station for questioning, as he was accused of misconduct against a woman named Dilfuza Botirova.

– Two forensic examinations were conducted to date. Employees of law enforcement bodies did the first. I did the second one. But they still hide the results of the two examinations. The investigator says it’s a secret investigation. What might be the secret in the investigation, if I pointed out myself as a victim party in the complaint? I still don’t have results from forensic experts, – says Fakhriddin Okkuziev.

Fakhriddin Okkuziev and other relatives of the deceased Khusniddin wrote a letter to the president, the chairman of the National Security Service and Prosecutor General of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in which they argue that the employees of the Interior Department of Chirokchi district killed Khusniddin Okkuziev torturing and hitting him with a heavy object during the interrogation.

– Police officers and the Prosecutor’s Office in Chirokchi district are creating a complete chaos. They can truly be called civilized criminal group. They are trying to hush up the matter. Even if the three police officers, who killed my brother, go to prison, I believe that in three to five years, the maximum, they will be released under the amnesty. The investigator Gulmurod Norkulov and the prosecutor Odil Poyonov are doing everything to make sure that this case does not reach the very top – the President, Attorney General and Minister of Internal Affairs. I sent four telegrams to Tashkent, but they do not reach the president. Investigator Norkulov says ‘Do what you want, complain to whom you want.” I believe if I our President found out about this, he would have resolved this injustice. I truly believe it, – says brother of killed Khusniddin Okkuziev.

According to Fakhriddin, despite all the obstacles created by the security forces of Chirokchi district of Kashkadarya region, he intends to go until the end and resolve the case of the tragic death of his younger brother Khusniddin.

– I want to fight for justice. Think about it, my brother was brutally murdered, killed for nothing. Now they want to justify the culprits. Now our mother is all in sorrow, she is 74 years old. Khusniddin had two minor children. His daughter goes to second grade at school this year, his son will soon be one year old. These “werewolves in uniform” took away a father from children, – says Fakhriddin Okkuziev.

Uzbek human rights activist Abdurahmon Tashanov, who provides legal assistance to the family of the deceased, says that after death of Khusniddin Okkuziev the district prosecutor’s office should have immediately opened a criminal case.

– However, the prosecutor’s office is still delaying it. Prosecutors did not answer the question – why Husniddin Okkuziev was taken to the police department? And they did not give legal assessment of the criminal case opened against Okkuziev, – says Tashanov.

Previously, in November 2012, “Jarayon” reported about similar incident that took place at the Department of the Interior in Chirokchi district of Kashkadarya region. Then the police officers brutally murdered 30-year-old Almardon Berdikulov. Investigator Anwar Holiyorov was brought to justice in this case.

Sofia DAVRONOVA