Imprisoned journalists released from solitary confinement

Political prisoners Zubaidullo Rozik and Rahmatullo Rajab, who had been in solitary confinement for about two months, were transferred back to their regular cells yesterday.

Photo: Internet

Two months ago, the two political prisoners, members of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan, addressed an open letter to Emomali Rahmon, requesting a review of their cases in the presence of international experts and observers, as well as domestic and foreign journalists.

The letter stated that they were guilty only of being members of the IRPT, and therefore demanded justice. “It should be noted that if we are recognized as ‘guilty,’ it will be for nothing other than our membership in the IRPT. The party was registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Tajikistan and operated officially,” the letter said.

In their letter, the political prisoners emphasized that on the eve of the celebration of the Constitution Day of the country, which Rahmon considers himself the guarantor of, and is also regarded as the defender of the rule of law in the country, they wanted to inform him of what had actually happened.

Instead of fulfilling the requests outlined in the letter to President Emomali Rahmon, the Tajik authorities, the prison administration, and officials from the Ministry of Justice of Tajikistan placed the convicted journalists in solitary confinement.

Yesterday morning, at the annual meeting of the Civil Committee of Tajikistan for the Protection of Political Hostages and Prisoners held online, the children of these political prisoners discussed the difficult situation of their fathers and other political prisoners. However, last night it became known that both of them were released early from solitary confinement.