Person arrested on suspicion of attacking Dodojon Atovulloyev released

DUSHANBE, January 14, 2012, Asia-Plus – The Moscow police directorate press center reports Tajik national who was arrested on suspicion of having inflicting stab wounds on Tajik opposition journalist Dodojon Atovulloyev was released after it was proved that he was not connected to the attack.

Russia’s news agency, Interfax, quoted a Moscow police spokesman as saying that closed-circuit television footage had cleared the suspect of involvement.

We will recall that Russian media source reported that 23-year-old Tajik national Bakhtiyor Rahimberdiyev had been arrested on suspicion of stabbing Dodojon Atovulloyev.

Officers from the homicide squad at the police department of Moscow’s Central Administrative District arrested him Friday morning because he was found with blood on his hands within hours of the attack.

Police released Bakhtiyor Rahimberdiyev after concluding that he was not connected to the crime.

The Interfax news agency cited an identified police official as saying that the attack may have been contracted.  He said someone had arranged to meet Atovulloyev on his own at the Viaggio Italian Restaurant, where he was attacked.

The investigation department of the police station in Moscow’s Khamovniki district has instituted criminal proceedings under the provisions of Article 111 (1) of Russia’s Penal Code – the intentional infliction of serious bodily injury; an investigation is under way.