In 2023, 16 appeals from alleged victims of torture were documented in Tajikistan

In 2023, the Legal Aid Groups (LAG) and member organizations of the Coalition of Civil Society Against Torture and Impunity in Tajikistan documented 16 reports regarding the use of torture and ill-treatment. Among them, 5 reports were from women and 2 from minors, while the rest were from men. During the reporting period, work continued on three cases from previous years.

According to LAG, the complainants reported illegal and arbitrary detentions, physical violence (beatings), electric shock torture, threats of rape against the victim and/or family members, intimidation with detention, punishment, and humiliation.

It is noted that torture and ill-treatment were used to obtain confessions, punish for certain actions, or as a means of subduing and humiliating personal dignity. The main age group of victims is 35-45 years (7 people), 46 to 60 years (5 people), two complainants are aged 19 to 34 years, and two complainants are minors. The majority of reports were related to torture and ill-treatment by law enforcement agencies (15), and one complaint was against security agencies.

LAG identified the main problems faced by lawyers and alleged victims of torture:

– the fact that victims of torture and their relatives refuse to further appeal against the unlawful actions of law enforcement officers at various stages of the criminal case;

– lawyers are denied immediate access to their clients, as the detention center administration requires official written permission from the investigator;

– detainees are misled or deceived regarding their imminent release in exchange for confessions;

– coercion to testify against oneself in violation of Article 12, Part 5 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Tajikistan;

– requests from lawyers for access to surveillance camera footage, data from medical records of the accused, and information from the detention book are ignored during court proceedings and often go unanswered, after which they are rejected;

– unjustified delays in preliminary investigations regarding instances of torture;

– investigators regularly ignored requests from lawyers for additional investigative actions;

– the safety of victims of torture and key witnesses was not ensured;

– lawyers are required to sign non-disclosure agreements regarding information obtained during preliminary investigations, citing Article 177 of the Criminal Procedure Code and Article 361 of the Criminal Code, which is illegal – such agreements prevent the provision of complete and objective information for monitoring documented cases;

– in some cases, lawyers dealing with torture issues avoid taking unnecessary initiative, even if they have the right to do so under the law, fearing possible pressure from the investigation.

The activities of the Legal Aid Group (LAG) of the Coalition of Civil Society Against Torture and Impunity in Tajikistan are aimed at promoting the establishment of an effective response system to reports of torture and ill-treatment, as well as an independent mechanism for investigating torture in Tajikistan. The Coalition of Civil Society Against Torture and Impunity in Tajikistan provides free legal and rehabilitation (medical and psychosocial) assistance. If you or your relatives have been subjected to torture and ill-treatment, call or write on WhatsApp or Telegram:

 +992 98 787 66 66 for Khatlon region

 +992 98 787 33 33 for Sughd region

 +992 98 708 76 76 for Dushanbe and the Republican Subordination

Offices:

 Dushanbe, Rudaki Avenue 137, building “Tajikmatlubot”

 Khujand, Somoni Avenue 42, office 117