DUSHANBE, February 7, 2014, Asia-Plus – Tajik Human rights Ombudsman Zarif Alizoda has asked Tajik Prosecutor-General Sherkhon Salimzoda to thoroughly investigate the cause of the death of activist of the Islamic Revival Party (IRP), Umedjon Tojiyev.

According to the Ombudsman’s Office, an appropriate letter was sent Tajik chief prosecutor in late January.

Umedjon Tojiyev died in a prison hospital in Khujand, the capital of the northern Sughd province on January 19. Tojiyev was transferred to this prison hospital from the pre-trial detention facility in the northern city of isfara January 4.

His lawyer reports that the official reason given for his death was “thrombotic embolism.”  Tojiyev’s colleagues and relatives, however, say he might have been tortured while in custody.

We will recall that Tojiyev jumped from a third-floor window on November 2, 2013 and broke both his legs.  He was officially being charged with organizing a criminal group.  Tojiyev was initially arrested on October 30 for refusing to follow police instructions.

Police say that the 34-year-old activist of the IRP from Isfara allegedly tried to escape from local police station by jumping off the third floor.

His relatives say he might have been subjected to torture and other ill-treatment and such treatment led him to jump out of the third floor window of the police station.