Why is the Minister of Justice avoiding direct answers?

On August 7, 2025, a press conference was held by the Ministry of Justice of Tajikistan in Dushanbe.

During the press conference, journalists asked Minister of Justice Muzaffar Ashuriyon questions about the conditions of prisoners in the country’s colonies. Instead of clear and specific answers, the minister limited himself to general phrases, avoiding direct comments on the most pressing issues.

For instance, in response to a question about complaints from relatives of political prisoners, including Makhmurod Odinaev, Ahmadshokh Komilzoda, and Abdusattor Pirmukhammadzoda, who, according to their relatives, suffer from various illnesses and lack access to medication and treatment, Ashuriyon stated that the Main Directorate for the Execution of Sentences has a medical facility that provides necessary assistance within its capabilities, and if needed, attracts doctors from outside the colonies. According to him, to date, no prisoner has been left unattended.

At the same time, this year, four political prisoners from Badakhshan died in Tajikistan’s prisons — 50-year-old Kulmamad Pallaev, 35-year-old Aslan Gulobov, 61-year-old Muzaffar Davlatmirov, and 39-year-old Eronsho Mamadrahimov. Their relatives claim that the prisoners died from illnesses without receiving timely medical assistance.

The minister also ignored a question about the placement of Abdusattor Pirmukhammadzoda in a punishment cell for inquiring why his name was not included in the list of those granted amnesty.

When asked whether journalists would be able to visit prisons in the coming months and personally familiarize themselves with the conditions of prisoners, Ashuriyon gave a vague response, suggesting they contact other structures, such as the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner, which allegedly conducts monitoring of the colonies.

In conclusion, as in previous meetings, the minister again stated that the government is working to improve conditions in prisons. However, relatives of prisoners, the prisoners themselves, and human rights organizations continue to complain about a lack of medicines, poor sanitary conditions, food issues, as well as torture and pressure on prisoners, which, according to them, leads to deaths in places of detention.