DUSHANBE, June 20, Asia-Plus — An amnesty bill requires pardon for some categories of combatants of combatants in the 1992-1997 civil conflict, Yusuf Akhmedov, deputy of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
The amnesty bill will be considered at a regular sitting of the third session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the third convocation that is being held today.
As it had been reported earlier, President Emomali Rahmon yesterday submitted to the Majlisi Namoyandagon a bill declaring amnesty on occasion of the 10th anniversary of a National Accord Day, which is marked in Tajikistan on June 27.
We will recall that in an open letter to Tajik President Emomali Rahmon published on March 12, one of former United Tajik Opposition (UTO) leaders and current member of the upper house of the Tajik parliament Hoji Akbar Turajonzoda called for a presidential pardon for all combatants in the 1992-97 civil war. According to him, a pardon would be a human step that would help unite society.
According to Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, in a series of five presidential amnesties issued since the end of the civil war, more than 20,000 combatants have been released from prison.
