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 26th 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!

8. Khurshed Bobokalonov

On June 27, 2009, a talented and promising young oncologist Khurshed Bobokalonov was indecently stopped by police in the center of Dushanbe. In response to his outrage of such brutality, he was beaten with batons. Khurshed died on the way to police station in a police car. Persons guilty of Khurshed’s death have not yet been identified.

In one of her numerous appeals to the Prosecutor’s General office, Khurshed’s mother, Saodat Kulieva wrote “False evidences were taken for truth. Measures were taken to conceal the facts and circumstances of the death of my son”. She is confident that the two children of Khurshed can always be proud of their father.