Tajik opposition leader Umarali Kuvvatov shot dead in Istanbul

Tajik opposition leader Umarali Kuvvatov has been shot dead by an unknown assailant on an Istanbul street, Turkey’s private Dogan news agency said on Friday (March 6).

Umarali Kuvvatov was shot dead

Umarali Kuvvatov was shot dead

Kuvvatov, who had been living in exile in Turkey and was head of the “Group 24” opposition movement, was killed with a single shot to the head at around 10:30 pm (2030 GMT) on Thursday evening (March 5) in the Fatih district of the city, it said.

The attacker then fled the scene, Dogan added.

Kuvvatov, an outspoken critic of Tajikistan’s veteran strongman leader Imomali Rakhmon, was already dead when medics arrived at the scene and police searched the area for evidence, it said.

Distressed relatives of Kuvvatov could be seen being taken away in an ambulance.