DUSHANBE, December 19, 2012, Asia-Plus – The Social-Democratic Party (SDPT) leader Rahmatillo Zoirov has offered to set up a special commission to monitor torture and ill-treatment in Tajik penal institutions.

According to him, they have received numerous complaints from relatives of prisoners about use of torture in prisons.

“However, under conditions when representatives of the public do not have direct access to penal institutions, it is hard to speak about torture and ill-treatment in prisons only on the basis of complaints and videos from relatives of prisoners,” said Zoirov.  “Therefore, I demand establishment of the commission to monitor torture and ill-treatment in Tajik penal institutions and the commission members should include not only representatives of the penitentiary system but also representatives of parliament, political parties and media.  I have sent appropriate letters to the lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of the parliament and the State Committee for National Security.”

SDPT leader also considers that the Department of Correctional Works under the Ministry of Justice should be headed by a civilian director – “lawyer or human right activist.”  In this connection, Zoirov suggested that Izatullo Sharipov should be relieved of his post of head of the Department of Correctional Works.

He also expressed hope that his initiative would be supported.  The commission members should visit prisons and talk to inmates and deal with reported cases of rights violations, SDPT leader stressed.

The Department of Correctional Works is responsible for managing the prison system in Tajikistan and has been part of the Ministry of Justice since 2002.  Its 19 penitentiary institutions include 13 correctional colonies (including one colony for women and one colony for juveniles), one prison and five pre-trial detention centers.  There are also five regional units responsible for the execution of non-custodial sanctions.