Makhmurod Odinaev placed in solitary confinement

The administration of the Vahdat colony has placed the convicted Tajik oppositionist Makhmurod Odinaev in a punishment isolation cell (PIT).

Relatives of Makhmurod Odinaev reported to Radio Ozodi on January 22 that he was transferred from the punishment isolation cell to a general cell in the correctional colony 4 days ago.

According to the political prisoner’s relatives, Odinaev “was held there for a month, although he was ill and needed treatment.” They claim that despite his deteriorating health, he was not provided with adequate medical assistance.

Makhmurod Odinaev himself, in a phone conversation with relatives, asked them to write to the head of the Main Department for the Execution of Criminal Sentences under the Ministry of Justice of Tajikistan, Mansurjon Umarov, to find out the reasons for his placement in the punishment isolation cell.

It should be noted that since his detention, Odinaev has repeatedly complained about his health, pressure from guards, and torture. According to relatives, his condition deteriorated to the point that he “cried and moaned,” however, it is claimed that the administration of the Vahdat colony did not pay proper attention to him and did not provide access to treatment and medications.

Human rights organizations have previously called on the leadership of the Main Department for the Execution of Criminal Sentences under the Ministry of Justice of Tajikistan to take into account Makhmurod Odinaev’s serious health condition and change his detention regime to house arrest.

The Deputy Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan, Makhmurod Odinaev, was detained by law enforcement agencies in December 2020.

On November 20, 2020, Makhmurod Odinaev called for a protest action, but after that, he disappeared. Two weeks later, it was reported that he had been detained in the city of Dushanbe.

 A criminal case was initiated against him on charges of “hooliganism” and “public calls for violent change of the constitutional order.” The court found him guilty and sentenced him to 14 years in prison.

Later, in September 2021, the authorities granted amnesty to Makhmurod Odinaev and reduced his sentence by 3 years. However, Odinaev himself did not accept the amnesty and demanded his release.

In February 2021, the Gissar city court sentenced Shaikhmuslikhiddin Rizoev, the son of Makhmurod Odinaev, to 6 years in prison on charges of “hooliganism” and “attempted rape.”

Relatives believe that Makhmurod Odinaev and his son are innocent and that they were imprisoned based on fabricated and politically motivated charges.