Tajik Army Sergeant Gets Nine Years For Deadly Hazing Incident

A military court in Tajikistan's northern Khujand Province has sentenced a sergeant in the Tajik Army to nine years in jail for beating a conscript to death during a hazing incident.

On June 19, the court found Sergeant Farrukh Davlatov guilty of the death of Private Akmal Davlatov in April and sent him to nine years in a maximum security prison.

The two men are not related.

Military officials had first said that Davlatov had died after choking on his food.

Also on June 19, a military court in Dushanbe sentenced Usmonali Gairatov, a military doctor, to nine years in jail for seriously damaging a conscript's health.

Shahbol Mirzoev suffered severe spinal injuries and became paralyzed as the result of bullying in March.

Human rights organizations in Tajikistan have criticized the government for not doing enough to stop hazing in the military.