Meirkhaim Gavrielov
Encyclopedia
Meirkhaim Gavrielov was a journalist murdered in Tajikistan
.
for fifty years. Gavrielov was born in 1927 in Samarkand
, Uzbekistan. He studied philology
at Samarkand State Pedagogical Institute. Gavrielov relocated to Tajikistan and in 1947 he began work as a writer and editor at the staff of the newspaper Tojikistoni Soveti (Тоджикистони Совети). From 1966 through 1974 he taught journalism in the Tajik Philology department of Tajik State University. From 1979 to his death Gavrielov held the position of editor-in-chief of the Tajik Agrarian University newspaper "Donish" (Дониш). Gavrielov excelled in his field and became a member of the Union of the Journalists of Tajikistan and Union of the Writers of Uzbekistan. He was published under the pseudonym Meir Khalabi (Мэир Халаби) and the years before his death wrote several books
In addition to his work as a journalist and author Gavrielov was a leader of the Bukharan Jewish community in Dushanbe
. He served as chairman of the Bukharan Jews'
Cultural Society, Khoverim (Ховерим), and was a member the Bukharan Jewish Section of the Writers Union of Tajikistan.
At the time of his death Gavrielov was seventy years old and had survived the brutal 1992-1997 civil war in Tajikistan
that ravaged the country. But Gavrielov’s profession was a dangerous one, as more than 60 journalists were killed in Tajikistan in the 1990s, and prominent individuals throughout the country were routinely assassinated.
, beat him, and then strangled him to death with a metal wire. The killing was a shocking incident, but not uncommon in Tajikistan. Initially the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported Gavrielov’s death as a suicide and claimed that Gavrielov had suffocated himself with a pillow. Later the facts surrounding Gavrielov’s death emerged after international scrutiny of the killing. It is uncertain whether or not Gavrielov's Jewish faith had any connection to this death.
and Committee to Protect Journalists
. Glasnost Defense Foundation
wrote an appeal addressed to President Emomali Rahmonov
to vigorously investigate Gavrielov killing and prosecute the murders. There was no reply.
The perpetrators of Gavrielov’s murder remain anonymous and unpunished.
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
.
Life
Meirkhaim Gavrielov was a prominent member of Tajikistani mediaNews media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
for fifty years. Gavrielov was born in 1927 in Samarkand
Samarkand
Although a Persian-speaking region, it was not united politically with Iran most of the times between the disintegration of the Seleucid Empire and the Arab conquest . In the 6th century it was within the domain of the Turkic kingdom of the Göktürks.At the start of the 8th century Samarkand came...
, Uzbekistan. He studied philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
at Samarkand State Pedagogical Institute. Gavrielov relocated to Tajikistan and in 1947 he began work as a writer and editor at the staff of the newspaper Tojikistoni Soveti (Тоджикистони Совети). From 1966 through 1974 he taught journalism in the Tajik Philology department of Tajik State University. From 1979 to his death Gavrielov held the position of editor-in-chief of the Tajik Agrarian University newspaper "Donish" (Дониш). Gavrielov excelled in his field and became a member of the Union of the Journalists of Tajikistan and Union of the Writers of Uzbekistan. He was published under the pseudonym Meir Khalabi (Мэир Халаби) and the years before his death wrote several books
In addition to his work as a journalist and author Gavrielov was a leader of the Bukharan Jewish community in Dushanbe
Jews in Tajikistan
Jews and Judaism in Tajikistan have a long and varied history. Most Jews in Tajikistan were originally Bukharian Jews.-History:Jews first arrived in the eastern part of the Emirate of Bukhara, in what is today Tajikistan, in the 2nd century BC...
. He served as chairman of the Bukharan Jews'
Bukharan Jews
Bukharan Jews, also Bukharian Jews or Bukhari Jews, or яҳудиёни Бухоро Yahūdieni Bukhoro , Bukhori Hebrew Script: יהודיאני בוכאראי and יהודיאני בוכארי), also called the Binai Israel, are Jews from Central Asia who speak Bukhori, a dialect of the Tajik-Persian language...
Cultural Society, Khoverim (Ховерим), and was a member the Bukharan Jewish Section of the Writers Union of Tajikistan.
At the time of his death Gavrielov was seventy years old and had survived the brutal 1992-1997 civil war in Tajikistan
Tajikistan Civil War
The Civil War in Tajikistan began in May 1992 when ethnic groups from the Garm and Gorno-Badakhshan regions, which were underrepresented in the ruling elite, rose up against the national government of President Rahmon Nabiyev, in which people from the Leninabad and Kulyab regions dominated...
that ravaged the country. But Gavrielov’s profession was a dangerous one, as more than 60 journalists were killed in Tajikistan in the 1990s, and prominent individuals throughout the country were routinely assassinated.
Killing
At approximately 11:00 p.m. on 8 June 1998, unidentified persons entered the home of Gavrielov in DushanbeDushanbe
-Economy:Coal, lead, and arsenic are mined nearby in the cities of Nurek and Kulob allowing for the industrialization of Dushanbe. The Nurek Dam, the world's highest as of 2008, generates 95% of Tajikistan's electricity, and another dam, the Roghun Dam, is planned on the Vakhsh River...
, beat him, and then strangled him to death with a metal wire. The killing was a shocking incident, but not uncommon in Tajikistan. Initially the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported Gavrielov’s death as a suicide and claimed that Gavrielov had suffocated himself with a pillow. Later the facts surrounding Gavrielov’s death emerged after international scrutiny of the killing. It is uncertain whether or not Gavrielov's Jewish faith had any connection to this death.
International Reaction
Gavrielov’s murder aroused international condemnation and investigations from groups such as Human Rights WatchHuman Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
and Committee to Protect Journalists
Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent nonprofit organisation based in New York City that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.-History:A group of U.S...
. Glasnost Defense Foundation
Glasnost Defense Foundation
Glasnost Defense Foundation is a non-profit organization with the stated goals are the defense of journalists, journalism, and the freedom of expression in Russia...
wrote an appeal addressed to President Emomali Rahmonov
Emomali Rahmonov
Emomalii Rahmon has served as the head of state of the Republic of Tajikistan since 1992, under the position of President since 1994.-Biography:...
to vigorously investigate Gavrielov killing and prosecute the murders. There was no reply.
The perpetrators of Gavrielov’s murder remain anonymous and unpunished.
Works
Meirkhaim Gavielov wrote the following books:- Солхо ва кисматхо (Solho va Kismatho), 1994.
- Андешахо, андешахо (Andeshaho, andeshaho), 1995.
- Маресеви точик (Maresevi Tojik), 1995.
- Гуломи илм (Ghulomi Ilm), 1995.
External links
- Glasnost Defence Foundation appeal to President Imamali Rakhmonov to investigate Gavrielov's murder.
- Human Rights Watch Report on Tajikistan – includes section on Gavrielov's murder
- Meirkhaim Gavrielov Memorial Page at www.memorium.cjes.ru (In Russian)
- Miyerkhaim Gavrielov (1927-1998) - Deserved Journalist of Tajikistan by Oleg Panfilov (In Russian).
- Photo of Mierkhaim Gavrielov at Bukharian Jewish Portal.