Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The Istanbul Heavy Penal Court has sentenced two Uzbek citizens, Dilshod Turdimuratov and Gafurjon Kamolkhodjaev, to two life terms each for the murders of Uzbek citizens Durdona Khakimova and Sayyora Ergasheliyeva.
Turdimuratov, 31, and Kamolkhodjaev, 29, were found guilty of aggravated murder. In addition to the life sentences, each was given two separate seven-year prison terms for theft, adding a further 14 years to their primary sentences.
Both victims were also citizens of Uzbekistan. The crimes took place in early 2026. On 24 January, a dismembered woman’s body was found in one of Istanbul’s garbage containers. Police quickly identified the suspects and arrested both men at an Istanbul airport as they were attempting to leave Türkiye.
Further investigation established that another Uzbek citizen had been killed in the same apartment the day before the first body was discovered. Her remains were also dismembered and disposed of in a garbage container. Investigators established that both suspects were involved in the second murder.
The defendants took different positions during the trial. Kamolkhodjaev said he had killed Sayyora Ergasheliyeva alone, denying his accomplice’s involvement in that episode.
Turdimuratov, in his final statement, acknowledged that there was no justification for what he had done, expressed remorse and said he deserved the strictest possible punishment.
