Meirkhaim Gavrielov
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'''Meirkhaim Gavrielov''' ([[25 August]] [[1927]] - [[9 June]] [[1998]]) ([[Russian language|Russian]]: Миерхаим Гавриэлов) was a journalist murdered in [[Tajikistan]].
== Life ==
Meirkhaim Gavrielov was a prominent member of [[Tajikistani]] [[News media|media]] 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 [[Jews in Tajikistan|Bukharan Jewish community in Dushanbe]]. He served as chairman of the [[Bukharan Jews|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 [[Tajikistan Civil War|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. <ref name= Memorium>{{
cite web
| author= Oleg Panfilov | publisher=Bjews.com | year=2004
| url=http://bjews.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=113&newlang=rus
| title=Miyerkhaim Gavrielov (1927-1998) - Deserved Journalist of Tajikistan
| accessdate=2006-06-19
}}</ref> <ref name=HRW>{{
cite web
| author= | publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]] | year=1998
| url=http://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/tajikistan/Tajik99n-05.htm
| title=Violence in Tajikistan
| accessdate=2006-06-19
}}</ref> <ref name=ifex>{{
cite web
| author= | publisher=[[International Freedom of Expression eXchange]] (IFEX) | year=
| url= http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/6512/
| title=Journalist Meirkhaim Gavrielov killed
| accessdate=2006-06-19
}}</ref>
== Killing ==
At approximately 11:00 p.m. on [[8 June]] [[1998]], unidentified persons entered the home of Gavrielov in [[Dushanbe]], 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. The motives behind Gavrielov’s murder were uncertain because Tajikistan, being a very anti-Semitic country, didn't really care about a Jewish person that was killed. Was the killing in retaliation for something he had written or was he merely a victim of the violent crime that paralyzed Dushanbe in the 1990s? Was Gavrielov’s Jewish faith a motive in his killing? These questions have yet to be answered. <ref name=HRW/> <ref name=ifex/>
== International Reaction ==
Gavrielov’s murder aroused international condemnation and investigations from groups such as [[Human Rights Watch]] and [[Committee to Protect Journalists]]. [[Glasnost Defense Foundation]] wrote an appeal addressed to President [[Emomali Rahmonov]] to vigorously investigate Gavrielov killing and persecute the murders. There was no reply. <ref name=ifex/>
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. <ref name= Memorium/>
==See also==
*[[List of journalists killed in Tajikistan]]
== Resources ==
<references/>
== External links ==
*[http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/6512/?PHPSESSID=8152b9b51f619db0cb890a1f64d53b34 Glasnost Defence Foundation appeal to President Imamali Rakhmonov to investigate Gavrielov's murder.]
*[http://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/tajikistan/Tajik99n-05.htm Human Rights Watch Report on Tajikistan – includes section on Gavrielov's murder]
*[http://www.memorium.cjes.ru/?page=2&id=340 Meirkhaim Gavrielov Memorial Page at www.memorium.cjes.ru] (In Russian)
*[http://bjews.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=113&newlang=rus Miyerkhaim Gavrielov (1927-1998) - Deserved Journalist of Tajikistan] by Oleg Panfilov (In Russian).
*[http://www.bjews.com/modules.php?set_albumName=Writers&id=Mierhaim_Gavrielov&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php Photo of Mierkhaim Gavrielov at Bukharian Jewish Portal.]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gavrielov, Mierkhaim}}
[[Category:Bukharan Jews]]
[[Category:Murdered journalists]]
[[Category:Tajikistani media]]
[[Category:History of Tajikistan]]
[[Category:Tajikistani people]]
[[Category:Tajikistani murder victims]]
[[Category:Tajikistani Jews]]
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:1998 deaths]]
[[ru:Миерхаим Гавриэлов]]