The mother-in-law of President Emomali Rahmon died in Dushanbe yesterday evening, aged 88 after a short illness.

Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, known locally as Radio Ozodi, says that during the last week Uzbekbi Asadulloyeva, the mother of president’s wife Azizamoh Asadulloyeva and Orion Bank head Hasan Asadullozoda, had been under the supervision of doctors at the Institute of Gastroenterology in Dushanbe.

During several days, she was reportedly put on a ventilator.  

Tajik authorities have not officially reported on the cause of her death, but one of doctors working with the Institute Gastroenterology had previously told Radio Ozodi that Uzbekbi Asadulloyeva had been hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms.  

Uzbekbi Asadulloyeva had lived in Jaloloddini-Balkhi district in Khatlon province, but because of her deteriorating health she was admitted to the Institute of Gastroenterology in Dushanbe last week.