Aziza Ustoboyeva, a resident of Spitamen district in Sughd province, was sentenced to five years in a high-security prison for driving 16-year-old Sughdiyona Tojiboyeva, a friend of her son, to suicide.

According to Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, known local as Radio Ozodi, the sentence was handed down by the district court on November 20. Last week, Ustoboyeva was taken from the courtroom to a detention facility, where she will remain until the sentence is final. Prior to this, she had been free.

It is unknown what the defendant said during the trial, and her relatives declined to comment. Additionally, no lawyer was provided to her during the proceedings.

The family of the deceased girl stated that they were satisfied with the verdict. The Sughd Regional Court clarified that the decision has not yet come into force, and it could be reviewed if an appeal is filed.

In June of this year, Sughdiyona's body was found hanging in the yard of her home. She was a 9th-grade student and was supposed to take an exam on the day of the tragedy.

Relatives accuse the girl's lover's mother, Aziza Ustoboyeva, of exerting psychological pressure on the girl in the days leading up to the tragedy, recording it on video.

Sughdiyona's mother, Ghuloyim Tojiboyeva, told Radio Ozodi that the woman had threatened her daughter: "Why did you write to my son? Why did you have a romance with him? I will disgrace you, I will report you to the prosecutor," she yelled. Ghuloyim Tojiboyeva believes that her daughter would not have committed suicide without external pressure. "My daughter was scared. She wouldn't have hanged herself just like that. She wanted to study, all the documents were ready. She was preparing for exams, and suicide was never on her mind," she added.

Psychologists’ opinion and suicide statistics among women and girls

The defendant claims that her actions were intended only to prevent potential negative consequences of her son’s relationship with the teenager. She asserts that the situation was distorted by the plaintiffs.

According to Tajikistan’s Prosecutor-General's Office, in 2024, 259 women and girls committed suicide or attempted suicide in the country. Among them are minors. Psychologists link such tragedies to a lack of parental attention to the emotional needs of teenagers and a lack of knowledge on how to communicate effectively with them during this sensitive period of life.

Experts believe that it is crucial to create a supportive environment for young people and educate parents on effective communication with their children in order to prevent such incidents in the future.