DUSAHNBE, April 5, Asia-Plus - Tajikistan’s Democratic Party (DPT) has prepared an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin protesting the mild sentences passed on murderers of the nine-year-old Tajik girl Khursheda Sultonova.

The DPT deputy head, Rahmatullo Valiyev, remarked this today at a meeting with journalists in Dushanbe . 

The appeal, in particular, says, “We appeal to you as guarantor of observance of human rights in the Russian Federation asking to promote performance of justice.”  The appeal also says that the DPT is indignant at mild sentences passed on the criminals.  

“I our opinion, the court’s ruling has shown that there are forces in the power-wielding structures and judicial system of Russia , which get benefit from such manifestations of neofascist and xenophobic moods in the country,” the appeal by the DPT leadership says.  

According to Mr. Valiyev, this appeal will be sent to President Putin today.  Its copies will be sent to Russia ’s State Duma, Prosecutor-General’s Office, Public Chamber and mayor of St. Petersburg .  

We will recall that on March 31, the St. Petersburg City Court sentenced seven teenagers to prison sentences ranging between 1 1/2 years and 5 1/2 years for the 2004 murder of the 9-year-old Tajik girl Khursheda Sultonova.

Earlier, on March 22, the St. Petersburg jury found the defendants guilty of “hooliganism” and cleared another defendant of murder.  The ruling shocked the victim’s family and sparked an outcry among human rights campaigners.

Khursheda Sultonova was killed on February 9, 2004 as she was walking with her father and 11-year-old cousin in a St. Petersburg street. A group of about 12 young men attacked them with baseball bats, chains, and knives, and stabbed the girl to death.