New prison demands refrigerators

According to social media users, officials from the Main Department for the Execution of Criminal Sentences of the Ministry of Justice of Tajikistan are demanding that the relatives of prisoners provide refrigerators for the storage of perishable food in the prison.

Photo: Internet

On June 10, photos of the main entrance of the new prison in Vahdat were published on social media. The photos show that the relatives of prisoners, as well as children, are standing in line in front of the entrance to the colony under the scorching sun.

Earlier, in August 2021, Azda TV reported that after the transfer of prisoners to the new prison, even after more than two weeks, they were deprived of the most basic conditions for staying in prison. They had no clean drinking water and proper nutritious food.

Shukhrati Rahmatullo, the son of political prisoner Rahmatullo Rajab, who is held in this prison, is asking the question: “Where have the refrigerators that were previously provided by international organizations gone?”

At that time, the authorities also forced the relatives of prisoners to provide them with almost everything necessary. Today, nearly a year later, the prison administration is still demanding that relatives supply prisoners with everything they need, including toilet paper, a refrigerator, and an air conditioner.

According to legal requirements, favorable conditions must be created in public areas for waiting visitors. However, the photos show that there is still no place for visitors or a temporary storage area for food and supplies in front of the new prison building.