"Combating Torture: Experience and Achievements": Prosecutor's Office of Khujand

"The conducted research and analysis show that torture can be aimed not only at obtaining information (self-incrimination, testimony, information of other nature) but also at punishing a person for the behavior or action of which he is accused," stated Qurbonzoda Behruz, Assistant Prosecutor of Khujand, speaking at the conference "Combating Torture: Experience and Achievements" in Dushanbe on October 25.

"Any act aimed at causing physical or mental suffering by coercing a person subjected to torture or a third person to commit or not to commit an act as a form of torture shall be prohibited. It can also cause physical or emotional suffering based on a person's race, nationality, attitude to religion, ethnic origin, language, gender, age, or other affiliation, including those connected with a certain activity or civil position of a person," he shared.

The speaker emphasized that the legislation of Tajikistan directly prohibits torture, and in 2012, Article 143-1 ("Torture") was introduced into the Criminal Code, the definition of which is consistent with the provisions of the Convention against Torture.

"Moreover, to prevent torture, the custody registers are kept in all places of detention, which record the identity of the detainee, the time and date of placement, the document under which the person was placed, the date and grounds for transfer to another institution or release. In addition, the joint order of the Prosecutor General, the Minister of Justice, and the heads of all other law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Tajikistan on October 24, 2012, approved the Instruction "On detention", which regulates in detail all requirements for the timely registration of detainees," mentioned the speaker.

The conference was organized by the Civil Society Coalition against Torture and Impunity in Tajikistan together with the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Tajikistan with the assistance of the OSCE Program Office in Dushanbe, International Commission of Jurists and Sigrid Rausing Trust.

The main purpose of the conference was to discuss pressing issues in the area of combating torture and ill-treatment in Tajikistan.

The conference was attended by international experts, representatives of state bodies, law enforcement agencies, courts, the prosecutor's office, the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights in Tajikistan, international organizations and embassies, as well as public organizations, members of the Civil Society Coalition against Torture and Impunity in Tajikistan, and the mass media.