Ombudsman criticizes unbearable conditions in Tajikistan’s prisons

In its new report, the Commissioner for Human Rights in Tajikistan notes that prisoners are held in jail cells where their numbers exceed the legal standards.

The report by the Commissioner for Human Rights in Tajikistan states that due to the overcrowding of prisoners in cells, prisons often do not respect the rights of inmates.

“Such a situation leads to violations of the legal requirements, which establish a sanitary area norm of at least four square meters per convicted person,” the Ombudsman’s report notes.

According to the annual report of the Ombudsman for last year, which he described as “difficult” for Tajik prisons, 350 inmates are infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and more than 100 convicts have contracted tuberculosis.

The Tajik Ombudsman also criticized the high mortality rate among prisoners.

“Another issue is the cases of prisoner deaths, the number of which continues to raise concerns. In 2023, 53 inmates died in places of detention,” the Ombudsman reported.

In 2022, 61 inmates died in Tajik prisons.

The authorities cite the main causes of prisoner deaths as “cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and oncological diseases.”

However, the National Alliance of Tajikistan—a coalition of Tajik opposition parties abroad—in its statement published in August 2023, claimed that the death of former member of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan, Jaloliddin Mahmud, in prison is a result of the mistreatment of political prisoners and the unbearable and inhumane conditions of their detention.

According to the Ombudsman, as of January 1, 2024, more than 13,500 convicts and another 1,355 defendants, suspects, and accused persons were held in Tajik prisons. Among them are over 14,000 men, 455 women, and 134 minors, as well as 244 foreign nationals.

Experts do not believe the official data and consider that the real situation in Tajik prisons is much worse than described by the authorities.