Family Of Turkmen Conscript Say He Died In Hazing Incident

The family of a Turkmen conscript who died while in service are alleging that he was murdered in a hazing incident.

The body of Private Ihtiyar Hydyrov was handed over to his family in April.

In an interview with RFE/RL on July 7, they said his body bore traces of beating and torture.

Turkmen officials said Hydyrov's death was caused by excessive alcohol consumption.

Hydyrov's family protested the autopsy results and filed a lawsuit, demanding an independent examination.

A court in Ashgabat ruled last month that no additional autopsy is needed.

Hydyrov's relatives say he would call them on a regular basis and ask them to send money "to avoid problems."

They say he prohibited his parents from visiting him, saying it would make matters worse.

Hazing remains a problem in the armed forces of the majority of post-Soviet countries.