Major Adolfo Scharpegge was from Uruguay and 38 years old. He had only joined UNMOT three weeks before his tragic death. He was a highly intelligent and balanced officer who did extraordinarily well during his short span of service. He was hard working, enthusiastic and dutiful. Major Scharpegge looked to his duties with enthusiasm and full professionalism. He liked to accomplish the most challenging tasks and displayed the same with extraordinary performance. He was married with one child.

Mr Yutaka Akino was 48 and from Japan. He had a Doctorate in Law from Hokkaido University in Japan. He had been at UNMOT for about four months prior to his tragic death. He was a top scholar in history of International Relations specializing on Eurasia. He is well known in Japan as an expert on Central Asia and specially on Tajikistan. He has a number of publications mainly on Russian policy towards her south. During his short stay at UNMOT he proved that he had a brilliant mind and an unquenchable thirst for gathering information and researching into the socio-political conditions of Tajikistan. He was bright and dynamic and made many close friends amongst the Tajiks in all the areas he was so keen to travel to. Other than Japanese, he spoke fluent English and Russian and had a full working knowledge of Czech with some knowledge of Polish, French and Chinese. He was married with two children.

Jourajon Mahramov was from Tajikistan and 47 years old. He was the longest serving interpreter at UNMOT. Many MILOBS made the comment that when Jourajon accompanied them on an observation patrol not only was he an excellent interpreter but he also gave them a lot of information about life in Tajikistan and Tajik customs and social ethics. Before joining UNMOT, he was for a long time a Senior Research Assistant at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations. He came from the area where he was killed [Garm] and he taught at various schools in that area for several years before moving to Dushanbe. He was married with three children.

On Tuesday 21 July, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Kofi Annan, and members of the Security Council condemned the murders of four staff members of the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan. The statement

read to reporters said the Secretary-General "condemns in the strongest terms this act of cold-blooded murder." Mr Annan called upon the government of Tajikistan and the United Tajik Opposition "to make every effort to bring to justice those responsible for this heinous act." The Security Council President, Sergey Larov, of the Russian Federation said the Security Council members also called on the Government of Tajikistan to finalize their investigation "as soon as possible".

First thing on Wednesday morning, 22 July, the SRSG, Mr Jan Kubiš, met President Imomali Rahmanov to discuss the gravity of the situation for the United Nations Mission of Observers to Tajikistan. In the meeting the President expressed his grief about the killings and assured the SRSG that a special commission shall be set up promptly to investigate the murders and bring to justice the instigators of the crime. SRSG stressed in that meeting that concrete results were essential if the UN’s mandate in Tajikistan was to continue as before.

Immediately after his meeting with the President, the SRSG held a Press Conference in Dushanbe in which he referred to the "tragedy" as being in his opinion " unprecedented" in the annals of the United Nations. He said the UN had lost four of its members when "they were performing their duties, their mandate, working with full responsibility, supporting peace and stability in this country". The SRSG asserted that these men were killed when they had been fully assured, by those who could give these assurances, of creating conditions for their safe work. He said that "one would expect that under such circumstances, with a clear mandate to assist the country and the people of Tajikistan, that they should be welcomed and greeted by everyone". But, he added, that did not turn out to be the case. Instead, "UN staff were brought out of their car and shot on the spot". This, the SRSG said, cannot be described as anything other than cold-blooded murder.

The SRSG was asked by reporters about the reaction of the President since he’d just returned from meeting him. He said that the President had offered his deepest condolences and assured him that the perpetrators will be punished. The SRSG also informed journalists that all Military Observers and civilian staff had been recalled from their team sites in various parts of Tajikistan and that they would all be back in Dushanbe by the same evening. In response to questions from reporters as to whether other measures were likely by the UN, Mr Kubiš said that other measures were being discussed in consultation with New York. He clarified that any such measures will only be taken after the results of investigations became public.

The same day, the SRSG met members of the international community, other UN agencies as well as international organisations and NGOs operating in Tajikistan, to inform them of the details of the tragedy and discuss security measures required in the event of MILOBs being recalled to Dushanbe. He later met the Ambassadors of all missions in Tajikistan.

In the afternoon of the same day, the SRSG met the First Deputy Prime Minister and a leading member of the UTO, Mr Tourajanzoda to express his position concerning the killings. Mr Tourajanzoda described the incident as being shameful for Tajikistan and said he will do all in his power to help in the investigation.

In the evening, 22 July, it was announced on Tajik State TV that in a special decree the President had ordered a Joint Commission to investigate the crime. The Commission was to be made up of Government and UTO members with UNMOT acting as an observer. According to a Presidential Decree the JC was to be headed by the Deputy prime Minister, Abdorahman Azimov. The President also signed a decree for the setting up of a Permanent Committee responsible for the security of foreign nationals. In an emergency meeting of Tajikistan’s National Security Council, Presidnet Rahmanov repremanded the Deputy Prime Minister, Abdorahman Azimov, and the Defence Minister, Shirali Kheiruliev, for serious security lapses. He also sacked the First Deputy Defence Minister, Abullo Habibov, and the Deputy Defence Minister, Sadeq Babajanov.

The UTO also issued a press statement explaining that the victims had passed the UTO check point at 1400 on the day the crime was committed. They explained that in their estimation the murders had taken place 12 km passed their check point and 2.5 km before the government check point before Labi Jar. The UTO described the incident as a "terrorist" action "committed by enemies of peace and stability". They offered their deepest condolences to the family and relations of the victims as well as to the United Nations and its representatives in Tajikistan. In a message from Teheran, the UTO leader, Said Abdullo Nuri, condemned the killings and said that he had asked all field commanders to do all they could to help the investigations. Fourteen UTO field commanders, including Mirzo Zioev, Mahmadrouzi, and Mullo Abdullo also issued a statement on 24 July expressing anger at the killings. They appealed to the Government, the CNR and the Contact Group to set up a competent commission for investigating the crime.

Nizomov, sent a letter of condolence addressed to the UN Secretary-General, Mr Annan, to the SRSG, and to UNMOT’s Chief Military Observer, General Ariffin, expressing the sorrow of the population, the local authorities and Mujaheddin of the Garm District at losing "these heros of struggle for stability in the long-suffering country of Tajikistan". The letter said that the population of Garm will never forget the murdered persons and their noble service.

Members of the Contact Group met on July 23 and strongly condemned what they described as the organisers and perpetrators of this ruthless crime and asked the Government of Tajikistan and the UTO to make immediate efforts to

identify the murderers. Their Press Release was published the following day.

Letters, faxes, telegrams and messages of condolence poured into UNMOT from all over the world. Statements condemning the crime were also published by foreign ministries of most countries around the world. UNMOT issued a Public Statement thanking eveyone for sharing its grief.