Juvenile Justice

On January 24, 2019 the Government of Tajikistan has adopted National Plan of Actions for 2019-2022 to fulfill recommendations of the United Nations Committee Against Torture. The National Plan consists of 22 paragraphs: investigation of torture cases, punishment for torture, intensification of activity of Human Rights Ombudsman in RT, basic legal guarantees and remedies, access to independent lawyer, inspection of detention places, custodial detention conditions, independent grievance mechanism, indemnification and rehabilitation, etc.

The National Plan envisages around 80 measures aimed at improvement of legislation and law enforcement practices as to prevention of torture. Implementation of the National Plan involves a wide range of state authorities, courts, law-enforcement bodies, Ombudsman institution.

So, Paragraph №16 of the National Plan: “Juvenile Justice”

This paragraph implies the implementation of the following measures:

·        Implement and monitor the State Juvenile Justice System Reform Programme for 2017-2021.

·        Review the juvenile justice legislation in order to bring the national legislation into compliance with the UN minimal standard rules regarding the administration of juvenile justice (Beijing Rules), UN Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (The Guidelines of Riyadh) and Guidelines for justice as to children – crime victims and eye-witnesses to crime.

·        Upgrade qualification and professional skills of employees of juvenile detention facilities.

·        Develop and adopt a programme for prevention of juvenile delinquency and rehabilitation of children, subject to review of child individual needs and requirements.

·        Consider an issue of improving the legislation and bringing it into compliance with the Tokyo Rules, in order to reduce the time of pretrial juvenile custodial detention and take non-custodial measures.

·        Involve psychologists to work with children in all places of the system of justice where children are kept.

This material has been prepared by the International Torture Victims Protection Day that is marked every year on June 26.

Torture is like a dreadful virus, and there is only one vaccine against it – public disclosure.

Activities dedicated to the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture became possible within the framework of the project “Support for anti-torture agenda and human rights groups in Tajikistan”, funded by the European Union.