Tajik opposition figure killed in Istanbul had previously been poisoned

Tajik opposition figure Umarali Quvvatov shot dead in Istanbul, his wife and two sons were poisoned during dinner on a visit before the assassination, channel "Haberturk" reports.

According to the channel, Quvvatov and his family were having dinner on the evening of 5th March in the apartment of his friend Suleiman in the Fatih district, which Suleiman had rented two weeks ago. During the dinner Suleiman suddenly left the house, saying he would return soon. But Quvvatov suspected that the food had been poisoned and followed him. While Quvvatov tried to catch up with him, the killer approached him from behind and shot him in the head. Suleiman and the killer then hid, TASS reports.

Earlier it was reported that the police allegedly detained Suleiman, but, according to 'Haberturk', he is still listed as wanted. Police are studying recordings from surveillance cameras in the area of the incident, and requested data on all telephone calls in the neighboorhood.

Relatives of the victim are at the hospital.

In January, Tajikistan demanded the extradition of the leader of the opposition "Group 24", entrepreneur Umarali Quvvatov, but was refused. According to the newspaper Aksham, on December 20th last year, he was detained in Istanbul on suspicion of "illegal entry". The Prosecutor General's office of Tajikistan announced announced Mr. Quvvatov wanted, and his "Group of 24" as extremists. The group was charged with attempting to seize state power, and it’s activities in September last year were called illegal and subject to criminal prosecution in the country.

After detention, Quvvatov spent two days in the Foreigner's Department of Security Management in Istanbul, where he stated that he was wanted dead, and asked to be put under protection. Fearing for his life the opposition figure explained that he "was going to start trading together with the son-in-law of the President of Tajikistan and became aware of many of the leader of the country's secret affairs". Till February 3rd he had officially had the status of detainee, living with his family in a guest house of the police in the town of Kırklareli. After that he rented an apartment in Istanbul's Fatih neighboorhood.