Prison administration fears imprisoned journalists

The prison administration has placed imprisoned journalists Zubaidullo Rozik and Rahmatullo Rajab in different cells, fearing that they might once again write a letter to the top leadership of Tajikistan.

Photo: Internet

According to Radio Ozodi, citing the wife of Rahmatullo Rajab, Valamat Ibokhimzoda: “Both were released from the SHIZO, but separated into different cells so that they could not see or talk to each other. They are currently in different prison cells.”

Earlier, Azda TV reported that political prisoners Zubaidullo Rozik and Rahmatullo Rajab, who had been in solitary confinement for about two months, were transferred to regular cells on January 9.

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 is only for 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 which is also regarded as the protector of the rule of law in the country, they wanted to inform him of what 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 imprisoned journalists back in solitary confinement.

A Tajik legal expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that imprisoning a person is a form of psychological torture aimed at reforming them. However, when prisoners are prohibited from seeing and communicating with their associates in a correctional facility, such as the Vahdat prison, this usually occurs for two reasons: first, the administration fears their reaction, and second, the administration intensifies psychological torture against the prisoners.