2012 year of torture in Tajikistan

Radio “Ozodi” posted on its website on December 16, 2012 that “that the year of 2012 in Tajikistan was remarkable by numerous reports on torture in detention centers”.

“In 2012 Tajikistan introduced punishment for torture. The Criminal Code of the country for the first time added a new article providing penalties for abuse and torture of prisoners and detainees. At the same time in 2012 there were numerous high-profile revelations of police officers and prison officials that are systematically abuse prisoners, sometimes resulting in death of the inmates”- says the publication.

The Prosecutor General of the Tajik Republic Sherkhon Salimzoda, who attended the special session of the UN Committee against Torture in Geneva in November 2012, and who responded to the unpleasant questions from Committee’s members and acknowledged the existence of torture in closed institutions in the country, reported “Ozodi”. At the same time he stressed out that in most cases the authorities are trying to adhere to legitimate methods of treatment with detainees.

In May 2012, Tajikistan was visited by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Mr. Juan Mendez, who during the nine days had the opportunity to get acquainted with the situation in all prisons of the country. According to him the high level leadership of Tajikistan is making a lot of efforts to combat torture. However unfortunately, he believes that the investigators and other staff of MIA and National Committee of the State Security haven’t received specific alerts to the fact that torture cannot be tolerated in their activities.

“The new wave of criticism of the existence of torture and abuse was raised at the end of 2012, when the parents of prisoners from Khujand colony released a video recording demonstrating signs of bruising on the bodies of their children. According to them, 59 prisoners were transferred from Dushanbe to Khujand and who were seriously beaten in early November, on their arrival in the colony. These were the people who were punished for making public the death of Ajika Kayumov and Hamza Ikromzoda in Dushanbe and Vahdat prisons. According to the General Prosecutor's Office, H.Ikromzoda committed suicide”- reported “Ozodi”.

In this regard the statement made by the Chief Mufti of the country Saidmukarram Abdulkodirzoda who claims “that there is no torture in the prisons and the press writes deceitful information” does not look convincing at all. The website of the Radio “Ozodi” on December 21 reported that the head of the Ulema Council of Tajikistan, speaking at the Friday prayers in the central mosque of Dushanbe, said that all talks about the existence of torture and ill-treatment of prisoners are not true.

Saidmukarram Abdulkodirzoda in front of hundreds of believers said that for three days was able to visit the capital's prisons and observed conditions in the detention. According to him the news about the alleged existence in Tajik prisons torture and abuse of prisoners, are not true. In particular, he mentioned that “the Press disseminates untrue information and there is no torture in prisons. The Press escalating the situation and thus might destabilize the country”.

Meanwhile, on December 19 the Tojnews website reported with reference to the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Tajikistan Rustam Mengliev that the prisoners in the Tajik prisons are most dissatisfied with their sentences and activities of prosecutors. According to the Minister, in November of 2012 the group under his leadership had visited several regions and met with the prisoners. The prisoners do not complain about the conditions of detention, but expressed a wish that the representatives of prosecutor’s office on supervision of legality in prisons to conduct inspections in prisons each month. Others expressed dissatisfaction with their convictions”- said Mengliev. It is mentioned that the meeting was held after the media reported about torture and abuse of prisoners.

For the first time the issue of torture was responded not only by representatives of civil society and the media, but also political parties. On December 19 the website of “Asia-Plus” published a statement of the National Social-Democratic Party of Tajikistan, which called for establishing a commission to investigate cases of torture in Khujand prison.

The Chairman of party Rakhmatillo Zoirov explained this initiative that for the recent time the number media reports of torture and beatings has considerably increased, with reference to the prisoners themselves or their relatives. He added that, the party's office was visited with similar complaints by the relatives of Hamza Ikromzoda, who died in custody and other prisoners, including minors.

It was reported that the party sent a letter to the National Committee of State Security and the Parliament to set up a commission from the representatives of government, civil society, human rights activists, etc.

Meanwhile, on December 18, some parents of the inmates whose videos with stories of beatings were published on the website of the radio “Ozodi”, reported about the pressure over their children for publicizing the facts of ill-treatment.

The Prosecutor General’s Office in Tajikistan also has not yet responded to the complaints of the prisoners’ parents. On December 15 during the meeting with relatives of prisoners of Khujand colony Sherkhon Salimzoda, the Prosecutor General assured them to check the videos with stories about brutal beatings of prisoners. Parents urged Prosecutor General to take under control the situation of torture in Tajik prisons.

On December 11, the website of the news agency “Asia-Plus” reported with reference to Uguloy Boltaboyeva that her son, one of the prisoners, who were transferred in November to Khujand colony, cut himself with a blade to demonstrate a protest against torture and ill-treatment by prison staff. According to her, on Saturday she received disturbing reports that Kurbonali could not stand the torture and abuse and cut himself with a razor blade. As a result he caused lights wounds in the area of abdomen and neck.

The Head of the Khujand prison, Dilovar Arabov confirmed to “AP” that this is true and on the morning of December 7, the prisoner Kurbonali Boltaboev cut himself with a razor blade. “Early in the morning when he was called to the duty officer office, he ignored this and began shouting using obscene language, for which it was decided to place him in a punishment cell for disobeying the rules of internal order. Investigator from the proctor office prepared materials on the measures taken against him.  However, in order to avoid punishment and to intimidate the colony staff Boltaboev cut himself “- said Arabov.

He also stressed that the prisoner was immediately placed in the medical unit, and was provided with the necessary assistance. "There is no danger to his life, the injuries were minor. On September 10, he was transferred from the medical unit to cell-type rooms “- added the prison’s head.

The Prosecutor General’s position on the issue of torture also causes controversial reaction in the society. On December 15, the weekly publication of “Ozodagon” published article “Sh. Salimzoda told the mother of the inmate: Reported in the newspaper ... You should be ashamed”. The article states that Momagul Holmurodova, mother of Umed Holmurodov the prisoner who was transferred to Khujand colony, managed to meet the Prosecutor Attorney General Sherkhon Salimzoda and expected that the latter will react to the allegations of torture of prisoners. However, what she heard was: “You made so much fuss about this case, thinking that the UN will help you, thinking that the media can help you ... They told the newspaper .. Are not you ashamed? We sent people there to check and none of your words got any prove”.

December 19 the weekly “Ozodagon” continued the topic, and has published a detailed analytical article “Torture in custody: from falsehood to truth”. Gulbahor, the wife of one of the prisoners from Khujand prison, told the newspaper that after the meeting with her husband was shocked by what he saw. “His body was blue-black from beatings. His hands had signs of burns, his eyes were red. He was shiv from pain. My husband said that upon arrival in Khujand colony, they were beaten by about 100 prison guards with batons. We had nowhere to run, and were severely beaten” - the woman said in an interview with the weekly.

On December 11, the website of “Asia-Plus” reported that the Prosecutor Office in Sogd again suspended investigation into the death Ismonboya Boboyev, who died on February 19, 2010 presumably as a result of torture by law enforcement officials.

Sergey Romanov, lawyer of the victims told Asia Plus, that again “sickness of the suspects” was stated as a reason suspending the case. However, the prosecutor office did not inform the lawyers and relative about what kind of sickness the suspects have.

The lawyer is intended to appeal this decision to the General Prosecutor's Office, as he believes that the case was halted illegally as at the moment they are only “suspects” while the law provides that a case may be suspended only in respect of the accused persons.