A person guilty of torture must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law!

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 №3 of the National Plan: “Measures of punishment for torture”

This paragraph involves the following measures:

·         Introduce changes in Article 143 NB1 (Torture) of the Criminal Code of RT, raise the custodial penalty for torture and exclude non-custodial penalty measures;

·         Consider an issue on non-application of acts of grace, termination of criminal cases, exemption from criminal liability due to settlement with the injured party, expiry of the period of limitation, and in other cases, as for persons who committed torture and other cruel treatment.

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.