The Ministry of Justice denies rumors that Hikmatullo Saifullozoda, a spokesman for the banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), has allegedly been subjected to torture at panel colony 3/1 as absolutely baseless.
A statement released by the ministry on October 8, in particular, says Asliddin Tursunov, former member of the terrorist group of Rahmon Sanginov (also known as Rahmon Hitler), who is serving his jail term at the same penal colony, beat Hikmatullo Saifullozoda on September 5 following a verbal conflict on a household basis.
On the same day, Asliddin Tursunov was reportedly placed in solitary confinement for fifteen days.
Recall, Radio Ozodi has reported that a 70-year-old Hikmatullo Saifullozoda on September 5 was attacked in a prison hospital where he was recovering from heart surgery last month.
An unnamed prison official confirmed to Radio Ozodi that Saifullozoda had received a head injury.
Saifullozoda's wife, Faroghat Sanginova, told Radio Ozodi that the attacker was not ill, so it is not clear how he accessed the prison hospital.
Days after Saifullozoda was attacked in the prison hospital, relatives of jailed members of the IRPT have pleaded with international community for support.
On October 6, relatives of Mahmadali Hayit, Rahmatullo Rajab, Zubaidullo Roziq, Hikmatullo Saifullozoda and Saydumar Husaini sent a letter to the Red Cross, the OSCE, the UN, and diplomatic missions in Dushanbe pleading for international help.
The letter quoted by Radio Ozodi says the men are being monitored by certain prisoners with the intention of attacking and harming them at the first opportunity.
The relatives say members of the IRPT are being held in the same cells as violent radicals, who pick fights with the aging politicians
