The Non-Government Organization (NGO) Independent Center for Human Rights Protection and Abdurahmon Sharipov, lawyer for family of inmate Ismonboy Boboyev, who died in custody on February 20, 2010 following his arrest on February 19, 2010, have filed a lawsuit against the Prosecutor-General’s Office of Tajikistan in a court in Dushanbe’s Sino district.

They accuse the Prosecutor-General’s Office of infringing investigative jurisdiction over Boboyev’s case, according to the NGO Coalition against Torture in Tajikistan.  

The lawyer says investigation into Boboyev’s cases has been lasting for already eight years but there has been little progress in investigating the case of death of Ismonboy Boboyev in custody.

“It appears that officials of public bodies are not interested in carrying out fair and effective investigation into cases regarding tortures.  Despite our numerous appeals, officials of public bodies have not carried out any investigative actions,” Sharipov said.   

Recall, Ismonboy Boboyev was detained by UBOP (organized crime control department) officers Manouchehr Akbarov and Firdavs Shokirov in Isfara on February 19, 2010 on suspicion of membership in the extremist organization, Islamic Movement of Turkestan.  Ismonboy Boboyev died in the building of UBOP’s office for Sughd province in Khujand on February 20, 2010.  Ismonboy’s relatives say he died after he was tortured in custody.  

The Sughd prosecutor’s office launched the probe into Ismonboy Boboyev’s death on March 25, 2010.  The criminal proceedings were instituted against Manouchehr Akbarov and Firdavs Shokirov under the provisions of four articles of Tajikistan’s Penal Code: Article 104 (1) – murder; Article 247 – fraud; Article 250 – extortion; and Article 316 (3) – misuse of powers.

On June 25, 2010, investigation into the case was suspended because of the suspects’ illness and investigation into the case was resumed in October 2012 following repeated complaints lodged by Ismonboy’s father to the Prosecutor-General’s Office.  However, investigation into the case was suspended on October 30, 2012 again following a resolution passed by an investigator from the Sughd prosecutor’s office.