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Islamic Renaissance Party Member Dies In Tajik Custody


Umedjon Tojiev was arrested in October and charged with extremism. (file photo)
Umedjon Tojiev was arrested in October and charged with extremism. (file photo)
KHUJAND, Tajikistan -- A member of Tajikistan's opposition Islamic Renaissance Party has died in a prison hospital in Tajikistan's northern city of Khujand.

Relatives of Umedjon Tojiev told RFE/RL that they were given his body on January 20.

According to the relatives, no information regarding either the exact date or the reasons for Tojiev's death was provided by officials.

Meanwhile, the party cited prison physicians as saying that Tojiev had died of a heart attack.

Tojiev's relatives say he may have died after being tortured while in custody.

Tojiev, 34, was arrested in October in the northern city of Isfara and charged with extremism.

In November, he was hospitalized after jumping from a third-floor window at the police station.

Tojiev later claimed he had been tortured by police.

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

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