Former Tajik university lecturer sentenced for 1993 murder

A court in Tajikistan's Khatlon Province has handed down a four-year prison sentence to Rahmonali Saidaliyev, a 70-year-old former lecturer at Kulob State University. The conviction stems from the murder of his neighbor, Pirmahmad Davlatov, which occurred on July 18, 1993.

According to investigators, the fatal incident arose from a dispute over household plot irrigation. During the altercation, Saidaliyev allegedly struck Davlatov with a shovel, causing injuries that proved fatal at the scene. Despite attempts by bystanders to intervene, the victim could not be saved.

Saidaliyev fled the country following the murder, leading authorities to suspend the criminal investigation at the time. The case lay dormant for over three decades before being revived in 2025. Officials have not disclosed the circumstances or location of Saidaliyev's subsequent detention.

The Khatlon Region Court found Saidaliyev guilty of murder under Article 104 of the Criminal Code. While initially sentenced to eight years, the term was halved under a 2013 amnesty law. Neither Saidaliyev nor his legal representatives have issued public comments regarding the verdict. This case is part of Tajikistan's ongoing efforts to prosecute crimes committed during the turbulent 1990s, including the country's civil war.