HAIFA, Israel — Two Bahá'ís in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, in recent weeks were determined to have been killed for their religious beliefs.

Rashid Gulov was shot and killed on 23 October 2001 while returning home from work. A second man, Mosadegh Afshin Shokoufeh, was shot outside his home on 3 December 2001 and died from his wounds on the way to the hospital.

Authorities in Tajikistan made the determination, after investigating the crimes, that the two men were killed because of their religious beliefs.

Both men, along with their wives and families, were active in the Bahá'í community and both were members of the local Bahá'í administrative body of Dushanbe. Mr. Shokoufeh had also previously served on the Bahá'ís' national governing body for Tajikistan.

These deaths follow the assassination of Abdullah Mogharrabi in September 1999. Mr. Mogharrabi was another Bahá'í living in Dushanbe whose murder was determined to be religiously motivated.