DUSHANBE, August 20, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Officials from Tajikistan''s ministries and agencies dealing with penal and penitentiary affairs and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) held a roundtable on August 19 to discuss detention-related issues, the ICRC’s mission in Dushanbe reports.

Organized at the request of the Tajik authorities and held at the premises of the ICRC''s mission in Dushanbe, the meeting brought together representatives of the foreign, justice and interior ministries as well as of the general prosecutor''s office, the state committee for national security and the anticorruption and counternarcotics agencies.

The roundtable focused on the objectives and standard working procedures of the ICRC''s visits to persons deprived of freedom, carried out by the organization in 80 countries around the world. It also offered an opportunity to talk about the current situation and legal developments in Tajikistan''s penitentiary institutions.

“During the roundtable, we also raised the issue of a standard agreement between the Tajik government and the ICRC, which would allow our organization to conduct humanitarian visits to persons deprived of freedom according to its standard working procedures,” said Séverine Chappaz, the ICRC''s head of mission in Tajikistan.  “We hope that this event will help foster our dialogue with the Tajik authorities on detention-related matters.”

The ICRC has been working in Tajikistan since 1992. During the 1992-1997 civil war, it carried out a major humanitarian operation in the country.