DUSHANBE, January 18, Asia-Plus -- A 20-year-old resident of Hissor Nasim Qosimov has got life for kidnapping and brutally killing a 16-year-old teenager.  

Tajikistan’s Supreme Court on January 18 ruled that Nasim Qosimov, who faced charges of hostage taking, extortion, involvement of minor in committing crime and document forgery, be sentenced to life imprisonment. 

Judge Bobokalon Murodov, who took in the trial, said in an interview with Asia-Plus that according to case materials, on March 17, 2006, Nasim Qosimov and his cousin Sherzod Qosimov kidnapped a 16-year-old Farrukh Ghoibov, the son of their well-in-do neighbor.  Next day, Qosimov called Ghoibov and demanded $50,000 in ransom for releasing his son.  Meanwhile, Qosimov had already killed the boy by that time, according to the judge.  Ghoibov managed to collect only $20,000 and left the money in the place agreed.  After that he went to Sakhovat market Dushanbe, where he was supposed to meet his son.  But he did not find his son there.

Police found the trace of the criminals on March 22 and they were detained the same day.  The criminals pleaded guilty.           

A 15-year-old cousin of Nasim Qosimov, Sherzod Qosimov, received a jail term of 10 years as accessory to hostage taking and killing.    

It is the first sentence on life imprisonment passed by the Supreme Court this year.  A source at the Supreme Court said that last year, the court passed seven sentences on life imprisonment.