Public organization “Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law” has developed social reintegration booklets for ex-prisoners, according to the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan.

The booklets reportedly include the information on free of charge assistance offered to this target group in 10 cities and districts of the country, including the cities of Dushanbe, Vahdat, Khujand, Panjakent, Qurghon Teppa and Khorog as well as Bobojon-Ghafourov, Devashtich, Vose and Jaihun districts.

“These are the locations, where the state legal bureaus established by the State Institution “Legal Aid Center” under the Ministry of Justice of Tajikistan are active, and where partially social reintegration desks supported by our organization are functioning” - noted N. Zokirova, Director of PO Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law.

The booklets list the type of services and contact details of state and non-state institutions offering support to ex-prisoners.  The type of services include but not limited to issuance or re-issuance of national passports, documents on civic status, assignment and re-calculation of pensions, employment issues, social benefits to unemployed, retraining services and others.  The data in booklets is localized to the pilot areas; they are published in Russian and Tajik.  The booklets will be widely disseminated amongst ex-prisoners through interested state agencies and public organizations in 10 pilot districts and cities.  “We hope that the booklets will support ex-prisoners to successfully reintegrate into the society,” said N. Zokirova.  The booklets are also available on http://bhr.tj/library.

This activity is implemented within the framework of Human Rights Protection of Prisoners and Ex-prisoners Project funded by the European Union and German Federal Ministry on Economic Cooperation and Development. The project is implemented by the Country Office of the Institute for International Cooperation of the German Adult Education Association (DVV International) in partnership with local NGOs “Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law” and “Jahon”.

Tajikistan’s Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law is an independent public organization.  Its mission includes human rights activities, consultations and assessment of the Tajik human rights legislation from viewpoint of its conformity to the international human rights standards and support to democratic legal and political reforms.