On 26 of June the whole world will commemorate the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1997 with a view to eradicate torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (TCIDT) and ensure the effective functioning of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

On 15 of June, the NGO Coalition against Torture in Tajikistan launched a campaign "Support the victim of torture! Stop impunity!", that will last throughout 26^th of June.

Starting from 15 of June the Coalition will publish one story per day about the victims of torture and ill treatment on its website and social media accounts.

What can you do? Add comments under the stories; send messages of encouragement for the victims of torture and ill-treatment and their families. You can also contribute by sending a short video (maximum 2 minutes) and download it under the concrete story using the #notorturetj hashtag or send it to the Coalition’s e-mail notorture.tj@gmail.com, as well by reposting the stories.

All words of encouragement will be delivered to the victims of torture and ill-treatment and their families, and published on the Coalition’s website on the final day of the campaign.

Support the Victims of Torture! Stop impunity!

1. Zaydulloev Shamsiddin

The story was narrated by Shamsiddin’s mother Karimova Tojinisso

My son Zaydulloev Shamsiddin, worked for AsianExpress as a taxi driver.

On 8 of April, 2015 around 20.00, Shamsiddin was detained in his home by the officers of Tajikistan’s Drug Control Agency, who claim to have evidences of Shamsiddin‘s involvement in drug selling business and escorted him to the DCA office.

The next I visited him in the building of the Drug Control Agency. When I petted his head he said I shouldn’t touch the back of his head because it was swollen and painful. I asked him  whether he was beaten and he nodded. I asked him to confess everything, but he said that he is not guilty and did not commit a crime. I was not able to visit my son on 10, 11 and 12 April under various pretexts and was promised to get access on 13 of April.

However on 13 April around 7 A.M. we were informed that our son was dead and his body was sent to Medgorodok morgue. We immediately identified our son body, it was covered in bruises. We took a few pictures. My son never felt unwell before and I am convinced that he died as a result of ill-treatment by the DCA officers. I beg your help to punish those responsible for his death.