Today marks the seventh anniversary of the tragic death of five-year-old Huvaydo Tillozoda, who was abducted from her home in the town of Serpukhov, Moscow region, on July 22, 2018.  The legal proceedings surrounding her death lasted five years, with the convicted perpetrator, Alexander Syomin, finally sentenced to life imprisonment in September 2023.  We spoke to her parents to learn how they have been coping since the tragedy.

Abdusalom Saidov, Huvaydo's father, spoke to Asia-Plus about the lingering pain and sorrow that have remained in his heart.

"This day, when I lost my daughter, I will never forget.  It became a horrible, unhealing wound for our family," he said, his voice filled with anguish.  Abdusalom, who is currently in Russia, continues working while his wife and children live in Tajikistan.  The family now has two sons: the younger one is 5 years old and attends kindergarten, while the older one is in second grade.

"I used to say that once the trial is over, I would return to my family.  But for now, I stay here in Russia and work because life in Tajikistan is difficult, and I need to save up for an apartment for my family," said Abdusalom.

A mother's heartache: "It feels like yesterday"

Huvaydo's mother, Nigina Tillozoda, shared her grief with Asia-Plus and said she would never be able to forget the horrible day she lost her daughter.

"Seven years have passed, but for me, it feels like it was just yesterday," she said.  The emotions from that fateful day are still fresh in her memory.

"Our daughter would have been 12 years old today.  May God never let any parent experience such a loss.  This is grief that can never be forgotten and something that cannot be accepted," Nigina continued, her voice trembling.

After the loss of her daughter, the family faced another devastating blow—her second daughter, Farkhunda, passed away in 2022 due to complications from cerebral palsy.  Nigina struggles to hold back tears as she recalls her youngest daughter’s suffering and eventual death.

"I lost two dear souls—Huvaydo and Farkhunda," Nigina said.  She now lives with her children at her mother's house in the city of Kulob, far from her husband.  Each day is a battle with memories of those who are no longer with her.

"To lose a child, especially so suddenly and cruelly, leaves a deep wound in the parent's soul, one that seems to never heal. Life has become an endless void, where I continue to search for answers, trying to come to terms with something so hard to even comprehend," she reflected.

The tragic events of July 22, 2018

As a reminder, on July 22, 2018, Huvaydo was brutally murdered after being abducted from the yard of her home in Serpukhov, Moscow region.  The child was found the next day in a sports bag by rescuers, who discovered her lifeless body.  Forensic examination revealed she had been sexually assaulted and then stabbed to death.

Thanks to surveillance cameras, police quickly identified the primary and sole suspect: 28-year-old Alexander Syomin, a neighbor of the Tillozoda family.  In his apartment, investigators found traces of the girl's shoes and fingerprints.  Although Syomin initially denied his guilt, his defense attorneys tried to claim that he was not mentally competent at the time of the crime.

After five years of legal proceedings, on September 13, 2023, Alexander Syomin was sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of Huvaydo Tillozoda.