BISHKEK -- Relatives of a Kyrgyz soldier who died during border duty in northern Kyrgyzstan last week say they do not believe an official suggestion that he committed suicide, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.
Military officials said this week that Erlan Mamytov killed himself on July 29.
But Mamytov's aunt, Gulgakky Maldybaeva, told RFE/RL that his relatives think he was murdered.
She did not elaborate, but said the family has hired a lawyer and asked the NGO Soldiers' Mothers to investigate the circumstances of his death.
Hazing in the military is a persistent problem across much of the former Soviet Union, often leading to deaths, suicides, or serious injuries.
Border Guard Service spokeswoman Salkyn Abdykarieva confirmed to RFE/RL that Mamytov was found dead in his military unit on July 29.
She added that a special commission chaired by Border Guard Service Commander Zakir Tilenov has been set up to investigate Mamytov's death.
Read more in Kyrgyz here