DUSHANBE, February 12, 2014, Asia-Plus -- The European Union has recently started funding a project aiming at strengthening rights of prisoners in Tajikistan under the “European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights" program (EIDHR).

The project “SECRET: Social-Economic and Cultural Rights of Prisoners and Ex-prisoners in Tajikistan” is designed and will be implemented by the German NGO Institute for International Cooperation of the German Adult Education Association (dvv international) together with two local partners – Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law and NGO Jahon.

The project will be implemented in Norak city (Female Prison #3) and in Dushanbe, Khorog, Khujand and Qurghon Teppa cities (ex-prisoners) over a period of 24 months.

The project reportedly aims at strengthening social, economic and cultural rights for one of the most disadvantaged group of the population – female prisoners and ex-prisoners of both genders, by increasing their involvement in learning and production activities within the prison; and providing legal and psychological consultations, personal development trainings and professional orientation consultations for social re-integration.