Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights

Human Rights Council

Twenty-fourth session

Agenda items 2 and 5

Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner

for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the

High Commissioner and the Secretary-General

Human rights bodies and mechanisms

Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights

Report of the Secretary-General

...

11. Tajikistan

36. Attention has also been drawn to the closing of the Association of Young Lawyers of Tajikistan (Amparo), a leading organization that provides free legal aid, human rights education and training, following a decision of the Khujand City Court of 24 October 2012.

37. Amparo had been actively engaged with United Nations human rights mechanisms, particularly on issues relating to torture and ill-treatment. This engagement included the recent participation by some of its members in the  preparation by the Coalition against Torture of a non-governmental report submitted to the Committee against Torture before the consideration of the second periodic report of Tajikistan by the Committee on 7 and 8 November 2012. Members of Amparo also met with the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment during his official visit to the country in May 2012, to provide him with information on the prevalence of abuse of recruits and the practice of hazing in the military.

38.  With regard to the closing of Amparo, a number of special procedures mandate holders raised concerns about the lack of procedural safeguards, including the fact that Amparo had reportedly never received a copy of the  audit initiated by the Ministry of Justice in July 2012 on the basis of which it was closed, and had not been able to comment thereon. It was also reported that the Ministry of Justice had issued internal instructions that were allegedly not published, and did not provide procedural guidelines for audits to the judge concerned. No government response had been received as at the end of the period under review.