DUSHANBE, January 16, 2013, Asia-Plus – The trial of the murder of Kholmumin Safarov, the 57-year-old husband of President Emomali Rahmon''s eldest sister, who was shot dead in June near his home in Dushanbe, is nearing completion.

The trial is being held behind closed doors at the pretrial detention facility of the Ministry of Justice.

A prosecutor in the trail of Dilovarsho Qosimov, who is charged with killing Kholmumin Safarov, asked the court to sentence Qosimov to 27 years in prison.

Dilovarsho Qosimov, who faces charges of murder, illegal possession of weapons and polygamy, insists that he had nothing to do with the murder.

Qosimov’s lawyer, Shuhrat Qudratov, says that his client admitted only the polygamy charge.  “As far as the murder charge is concerned, the prosecution case is based on conjectures and suppositions,” the lawyer noted.

According to some data, the Hakimov brothers – Mahmadtohir and Mahamdfozil – are on trial together with Dilovarsho Qosimov.  The prosecutor asked for 8-year and 3-year sentences for them respectively.

The trial began on December 24 and the sentence is expected to be passed on January 18.

We will recall that Kholmumin Safarov was found dead after being shot by unknown assailants on June 13, 2012.  Police say Safarov was shot in the head, chest, and stomach.  The shooting is reported to have occurred as he was returning to his home after evening prayers at a nearby mosque.

A native of Khatlon’s Vose district, Safarov, the brother-in-law of President Emomali Rahmon, had been serving as chief of the Tajik government''s forest and hunting agency.  Some media sources say that while many of the president''s relatives control major Tajik companies and banks, Safarov wasn''t known to be involved in big business.

Tajik law enforcement officials noted that Dilovarsho Qosimov, the suspect in the murder of Kholmumin Safarov was detained in Dushanbe on July 13.  Tajik Interior Affairs Ministry officials said at a press conference that the suspect was detained following a lengthy undercover operation.