KULOB, Tajikistan -- The sons of two prominent Tajik journalists say police in the southern city of Kulob have detained and beat them, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reports.
Ibrohim Ahmad's son Siyavush and Asliddin Dostiev's son Bobojon were detained by traffic police at around 11 p.m. on June 7 along with some 100 fans of the local Ravshan soccer club, which had just won a match against Dushanbe's Energetik team.
Officials say the young fans did not cause a public disturbance while celebrating their team's victory. But the two say they were beaten while in police custody.
Ahmad and Dostiev say they were held at the police station for several hours and the police were very rude; insulting and beating them. They say they both sustained injuries.
The men underwent a medical examination on June 8 which revealed numerous bruises and other injuries on their bodies. They have filed a lawsuit against the police.
Asliddin Dostiev told RFE/RL that the police action is connected with his professional activities. He said he and his colleague, Ahmad Ibrohim, have been writing articles criticizing local police and traffic inspection police for some time.
"When the police found out that the guys were our children, they did what they did while we were out of town," Dostiev told RFE/RL.
Kulob city traffic inspection police head Saimumin Hasanov told RFE/RL that the incident is being investigated.
He said traffic police had been patrolling the streets of Kulob during the night of June 7 "to preserve order."
Read more in Tajik here
Ibrohim Ahmad's son Siyavush and Asliddin Dostiev's son Bobojon were detained by traffic police at around 11 p.m. on June 7 along with some 100 fans of the local Ravshan soccer club, which had just won a match against Dushanbe's Energetik team.
Officials say the young fans did not cause a public disturbance while celebrating their team's victory. But the two say they were beaten while in police custody.
Ahmad and Dostiev say they were held at the police station for several hours and the police were very rude; insulting and beating them. They say they both sustained injuries.
The men underwent a medical examination on June 8 which revealed numerous bruises and other injuries on their bodies. They have filed a lawsuit against the police.
Asliddin Dostiev told RFE/RL that the police action is connected with his professional activities. He said he and his colleague, Ahmad Ibrohim, have been writing articles criticizing local police and traffic inspection police for some time.
"When the police found out that the guys were our children, they did what they did while we were out of town," Dostiev told RFE/RL.
Kulob city traffic inspection police head Saimumin Hasanov told RFE/RL that the incident is being investigated.
He said traffic police had been patrolling the streets of Kulob during the night of June 7 "to preserve order."
Read more in Tajik here
