Forthcoming Visit by the Special Rapporteur and the ATI Team to the Tajikistan

As part of the follow-up efforts of the Anti-Torture Initiative, the Special Rapporteur is pleased to announce his follow-up visit to the Republic of Tajikistan, which will take place between February 10 and 13, 2014. During the visit, the Special Rapporteur and the ATI team will meet with high-level Government officials, local civil society partners, and representatives from UN agencies and other international organizations to assess the level of implementation of the recommendations issued by the Special Rapporteur during his 2012 visit to Tajikistan.

Particularly, the Special Rapporteur and the ATI are looking forward to a full-day Roundtable event with high-level government officials, representatives from civil society, and international organizations that will take place on February 12, 2014 to discuss the Government’s Action Plan for implementing his recommendations. The event, which is being organized by the ATI, the UN OHCHR, and APT, and co-sponsored by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the Open Society Foundations, OSCE, and the Tajik Coalition against Torture, constitutes an excellent opportunity to discuss and agree on concrete steps towards the full implementation of the SRT’s recommendations.

Keep up with the Special Rapporteur and the ATI team during their visit and learn about the latest developments by following us on Twitter @antitorture_SRT and on Facebook.  

Learn more about the Special Rapporteur’s 2012 mission to Tajikistan and to read his country visit report, which was presented to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2013, refer to the information below.

2012 Country Visit to Tajikistan 

The Special Rapporteur undertook a country visit to the Republic of Tajikistan from May 10-18 2012. During his visit, he met with Government officials, civil society members, and representatives of UN agencies and international organizations. He was also able to meet with victims and their families, and visit several places of detention in around Dushanbe, Khujand, Isfara, Istarafshan and Kurgan–Tube.

The SRT released his preliminary findings in a statement and press release on 18 May 2012, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan [links to preliminary findings and press release]. The SRT reported that, while Tajikistan has introduced some encouraging changes in the normative framework for the prohibition of torture and ill treatment, concerns remain about the exertion of pressure on detainees, and the lack of safeguards against illegal renditions.

The SRT published his Country Visit Report on 28 January 2013, and presented his findings and recommendations at the 22nd Session of the Human Rights Council on 4 March 2013.

• Read the SRT’s preliminary findings in English, Russian, and Tajik.
• Read the SRT’s report on his visit to Tajikistan 
• Watch the SRT deliver his findings on Tajikistan before the 22nd Session of the Human Rights Council on March 4, 2013