Career
He partly instigated the Tajik Civil War. Rising out of the regional nomenklatura, Nabiyev ascended to power in 1982 as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Tajikistan. In 1985 he was ousted in a corruption scandal.
After Tajik leaders declared the independence of the Republic of Tajikistan in September 1991, Nabiyev orchestrated his way back into power on August 31, only to step down on October 6 as pressure mounted for him to vacate the office during the campaign for the presidential elections.
Disputes concerning the election led to opposition street demonstrations, which developed into a civil war in May 1992. As fighting escalated, Nabiyev"s own pro-government militias staged a coup d"état in September 1992.
He resigned office from the safety of his home province of Leninabad. By December 1992 the Kulyab province"s former apparatchik turned paramilitary-leader, Emomalii Rahmon, was in power.
The cause of Rahmon Nabiev"s death is not clear.
Officially, he died of a heart attack, but in other versions of the story, he shot himself, or was killed.
