DUSHANBE, May 25, 2016, Asia-Plus – The Coalition of NGOs Against Torture in Tajikistan (Coalition) calls on Tajik authorities to investigate lawfulness of police officers’ actions during the holding of the Holi Festival of Colors (a Hindu spring festival) in Dushanbe.
In its statement, the Coalition, in particular, expresses concern about the large number of reports about ill-treatment by police against more than 100 partygoers, including underage children.
We will recall that the celebrations that took place at Dushanbe’s Spartak Stadium on May 15 turned sour after a number of young partygoers claimed they had been arrested and abused by the police.
The NGO Coalition Against Torture has urged the partygoers who suffered from police mistreatment to take action against the police officers, and offered to represent them in court.
Coalition representative, Ms. Dilrabo Samadova, told
Asia-Plus
that parents of four minors had already applied to them for help.
Platforma
, a Tajik- and Russian-language public group on Facebook, was among the first social-media accounts to post a 16-minute recording, allegedly made on a mobile phone in the police station.
Platforma
claims that some 200 people — many of them underage children — were taken to a police station in Dushanbe”s Ismoili Somoni, where they faced beating, swearing, and humiliation.
In the recording, male voices could be heard swearing and insulting and there are sounds suggesting the exchanges become physical.
The recording that was shared on May 18 sparked outrage and calls for immediate probes.
Ms. Samadova says they have studied the recording and concluded that the police officers beat the detainees 25 times during the 16 minutes recorded.
Local NGO Alegriya, which is organizer of the celebrations, said it had obtained an official permit to invite 400 people to the gathering to mark Holi.
The Interior Ministry of Tajikistan has reportedly launched an investigation into the incident. Jaloliddin Sadriddinov, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, says the Interior Ministry Internal Security Department is investigating the incident.
