Asia-Plus: Чтобы узнать от чего умер сын в армии нужно иметь дядю

Asia-Plus (Russian edition), 3 March 2021. The article is the sixth story from the book “History of 13 Soldiers or Lost Dreams” by the NGO “Office of Civil Freedoms” (Офис гражданских свобод). The article reports on the death of 19-year-old conscript Manuchehr Saburov (Манучехр Сабуров) from Tanobchi village (село Танобчи), Nurabad district (Нурабадский район), Rasht Valley. The article quotes his mother Gulnigor Nazarova (Гульнигор Назарова) and father Abdujalil (Абдуджалил) on his life and death. According to the article, Manuchehr worked in Russia for a year before joining the army voluntarily on 15 April 2015 in the hope of receiving a land plot in return for service. The article reports that his family was not told where he was posted for a month, and later learned he was sent to Khorog (Хорог) and then to the Murgab district (Мургабский район) in the Pamirs. The article cites a 2 November 2015 phone call in which Manuchehr described harsh cold, lack of food and officers leaving soldiers alone at night to sleep in warm houses. The article reports that on 8 November 2015 the family was told by phone that he had died; authorities initially cited heart failure and later, at the Main Military Prosecutor’s Office, lung and kidney disease. The article quotes the mother describing bruises on his shoulders, a full autopsy incision and wounds on his back resembling shrapnel injuries, and says his body was returned without his uniform, with boots two sizes too large and unworn new clothing. The article reports that the family made repeated appeals — to the prosecutor’s office, military commissariat, district head and the president — seeking a second medical examination to establish the cause of death, but all were refused. It cites the mother’s statement that to get answers “you need an uncle (тago, ‘a useful person’) or money.” The article also reports the father’s account that on the day of the funeral, district administration (хукумат) and commissariat officials came to the village in more than ten cars but refused to enter the muddy courtyard. The article’s cited source is the Office of Civil Freedoms’ book “History of 13 Soldiers.”