“The Story of 13 Soldiers or Lost Dreams”

 “The Story of 13 Soldiers or Lost Dreams” is a book that tells about the fate of 13 soldiers who became victims of torture and inhuman treatment and punishment in the army.

The book was prepared by [1] Public Organization “Office of Civil Freedoms” (OCF) - an organization working on protection and promotion of the rights and freedoms of conscripts, military personnel, and members of their families.

During the work in this area, the OCF documented about 40 cases of inhuman treatment among military personnel in the army, most of which ended with the deaths of soldiers.

In order to stop numerous deaths in the army during peacetime, the OCF decided to emphasize the soldiers themselves. Tell them about the consequences of hazing in the army, how beatings and bullying of soldiers affect the lives of families, and even a whole bloodline.

Through simple stories, we wanted to tell about the dreams and plans of young people who have been maimed by their fellow soldiers, after whom in some cases, the officers failed to spot.

The OCF wants once again to draw the attention of ordinary people, military personnel, government agencies, military structures, and the international community to the issues of inhuman treatment and punishment in the army and hopes that the present publication will contribute to preventing this disgraceful and destructive practice.

The Office of Civil Freedoms will disseminate the book in the military units of the country, among military and state structures, public and international organizations, and the mass media.

The book was prepared with the financial support of the Open Society Institute - Assistance Foundation in Tajikistan, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, the European Union and the OSCE Program Office in Tajikistan.

Authors: Jamshed Marupov, Guzal Mahkamova

Editors: Nargis Khamrabaeva, Fazliddin Khojaev

Photographer: Nozim Kalandarov