The last time Saidazam Rahmonov’s family saw him alive was when he was at Dushanbe International Airport in early October.
A week later, members of Tajikistan’s security services handed his family the 29-year-old’s body, which bore signs of beating and torture, including electric shocks and broken bones.
That is according to Rahmonov’s family members and friends, who spoke to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.
Rahmonov had returned to his native Tajikistan from Germany, where he had lived since 2019, to renew his visa. But when he arrived at Dushanbe airport on October 6 to take a flight to Moscow, Rahmonov was detained.
A pious Muslim, Rahmonov was accused by his interrogators of religious extremism and of planning a terrorist attack, said sources close to his family.
His family said Rahmonov, who got married in Germany, was not a member of any religious or political party or group. They said he lived a quiet life and worked as a hotel worker in a small German town.
Rahmonov’s death comes amid a brutal crackdown on signs of Islam in Tajikistan. The staunchly secular and democratic government of President Emomali Rahmon has suppressed Islamic political and religious groups and any outward signs of religiosity, including beards.
Central Asia’s poorest country, Tajikistan has grappled with Islamic extremism in recent years. But critics say the authorities have severely restricted the practice of Islam without addressing the causes of radicalization.
Rahmonov’s death has also put the spotlight on what rights groups say is systematic torture and ill-treatment in detention centers in Tajikistan.
'Officers Got Suspicious Of His Big Beard'
Rahmonov’s family first became concerned when he did not arrive in Moscow on his scheduled flight. He had planned a brief trip to attend a friend’s wedding in the Russian capital before returning to Dushanbe.
In June, Rahmonov had arrived in Tajikistan to obtain documents that he needed to extend his visa in Germany, a process that can take months.
“His relatives in Dushanbe got worried and contacted the police, security services, and other government agencies, but did not get any answers,” said a friend of Rahmonov.
At the airport, “security officers got suspicious of his big beard and took him to a security room, where they checked his mobile phone and found several videos with religious content,” the friend added.
While Rahmonov was being held in detention, members of the security services raided his home in Dushanbe and interrogated his family members, sources close to the family said.
“The security services told the family that Rahmonov was an extremist and had been in contact with terrorists and planned a terrorist act in Tajikistan,” a source close to the family said.
On October 13, Rahmonov’s family received his body and were told that he had committed suicide during his detention. His family rejects the official cause of his death.
RFE/RL contacted the Tajik authorities for comment but did not receive any response.
Rahmonov’s wife told RFE/RL that the couple led a “quiet life” in Frankenberg, a town in western Germany.
The woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Rahmonov had told German immigration authorities that he faced security risks if traveled to Tajikistan. But the German authorities were adamant that Rahmonov had to apply for an extension to his visa from Tajikistan, she said.
