The key facts

  • A 32-year-old resident of the Navruz mahalla in the Payariq district died in hospital after 28 days in a coma
  • The attackers beat him with rebar, drove him about three kilometers from the center of the mahalla and buried him; more than three liters of blood were drained from his lungs
  • The case was reclassified under subparagraph 'd' of Part 3 of Article 104 of the Criminal Code; the accused have been taken into custody

The attack and the victim's death

In the Payariq district of Samarkand region, a 32-year-old man has died after spending 28 days in a coma following an attack. This was reported by Zamon.uz citing accounts from relatives and a witness, as well as data from the regional police department.

What is known about the incident

According to the outlet, the man, who lived in the Navruz mahalla, had left a café with an acquaintance and was heading home when a white Spark car blocked their path. People who got out of the car began striking him on the head with rebar. The witness tried to protect his friend and wrest the rebar away, but the attackers turned on him as well, pelting him with stones. The victim was then forcibly put into the car and driven away. According to the deceased's brother, he was taken to a deserted area about three kilometers from the center of the mahalla, where he was found in grave condition: his body bore numerous injuries, his neck had turned blue, and at the hospital more than three liters of blood were drained from his lungs. His wife said he had been beaten beyond recognition.

Cause of the conflict and progress of the investigation

The cause of the quarrel has not yet been established. The deceased's brother stated that there had been no feud between the families before, but two days before the incident there were witnesses to his brother arguing and fighting with the attackers. According to the head of the information service of the Samarkand region police department, Hamidulla Sagdullaev,the case was initially opened under Part 2 of Article 104 of the Criminal Code, and after the victim's death it was reclassified under subparagraph 'd' of Part 3 of that article. Pre-trial detention was chosen as a measure of restraint for the accused; investigative actions are being carried out by the Investigation Department under the regional police department. It should be noted that both Zamon.uz publications (the Uzbek-language and Russian-language versions) present the same facts, and no independent confirmation from other sources is available in the materials at hand.