DUSHANBE, February 27, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- In Tajikistan, hotline services for torture cases have been established in Dushanbe, Sughd and Khatlon provinces and districts subordinate to the center (RRP).

The hotline telephones for torture victims have been established in Tajikistan in the framework of project, The Fight against Torture in Tajikistan, Phase II, which is implemented by the Human Rights Center under support of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan.

The project manager, Ms. Parvina Navrouzova, says the project is dedicated to define scales of use of torture in the country through documenting the torture cases in Dushanbe, RRP, Khatlon and Sughd province as well as providing legal assistance to the torture victims.

Experts from the Human Rights Center will conduct consultative meetings with practicing lawyers in Dushanbe, RRP, Khatlon and Sughd provinces to discuss problems facing lawyers during defending torture victims.

The first phase of the project was implemented by the Human Rights Center last year, from March through December.  Over the report period, more than 20 torture applications have been reported.  17 torture cases have been registered in the Sughd province and 12 torture cases have been registered in Dushanbe.