"Santa Murder" Trial in Tajikistan

A sixth man has gone to trial for a murder that many link to the rise of extremist forms of Islam in Tajikistan.

Parviz Davlatbek, 24, was dressed as Father Frost, the Russian equivalent of Santa Claus, when he was stabbed to death on New Years’ Eve in 2011. The story hit the headlines as it seemed this was no random attack, but instead a reflection of a new intolerance toward long-established customs now seen as alien by some radicals. 

The current defendant, Ferdavs Murodov, a 22-year-old student, was on the run for a year but then gave himself up and has apparently confessed. Five others were sentenced earlier.

Khurshed Durakht is an IWPR-trained radio reporter in Tajikistan.

The audio programme went out in Russian and Tajik on national radio stations in Tajikistan, as part of IWPR project work funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.