DUSHANBE, June 25, Asia-Plus — 15 people, including 13 women, gathered in front of the building of the UN Tajikistan Peace-Building Office (UNTOP) on June 23, protesting jailing of their relatives.
The demonstrators, mostly mothers of people jailed for their activities during the 1992-1997 civil conflict in Tajikistan, were calling for their children and other relatives to be included in an amnesty singed by President Emomali Rahmon on June 21 and demanding meeting with the UNTOP head Vladimir Sotirov, Asia-Plus has learned from a source in the ministry of interior (MoI).
“Officers from the police directorate for Dushanbe’s Ismoili Somonis district came to the site of rally and warned demonstrators that the rally is unauthorized and they should break up,” the source said, adding that one woman was allowed to meet with the UNTOP head.
Lilia Zakharyeva, adviser to the UNTOP for human rights, told Asia-Plus that woman from the Fayzobod district, Husnoro Ahmadova, had asked for help in including her son, participant of the 1992-1997 civil conflict who is serving his sentence for serious crimes committed during the civil conflict, in the amnesty.
“She asked Mr. Sotirov to convey to President Rahmon their solicitation that each case of those convicted should be re-considered separately and human step should be taken in this direction ahead of the upcoming 10th anniversary of the June 27 1997 general peace agreement,” Zakharyeva said.
We will recall that President Emomali Rahmon on June 21 formally approved the amnesty that was adopted by the Tajik parliament on June 20. The amnesty, declared on occasion of the 10th anniversary of the National Peace Accord, is mainly to be granted to veterans of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, women, minors, men above 55, as well as sick prisoners who are serving sentences for minor crimes, and combatants in the 1992-1997civil war. The amnesty does not apply on persons serving sentences for serious crime or for killing two and more people, recidivists or those who committed crimes in prisons, as well as persons convicted on charges of human trafficking, recruiting people for exploitation, rape, banditry, organizing a criminal group, hostage taking, incitement of ethnic, racial, regional and religious enmity, theft, drug trafficking, trafficking in weapons, robbery, embezzlement of state funds and loans, public calls for overthrowing the country’s constitutional system, high treason, organizing an extremist group, bribery, espionage, office abuse, etc. In all, the amnesty does not apply on persons convicted on charges under 68 articles of Tajikistan’s Criminal Code, which consists of 405 articles.
The previous amnesty granted in August 2006 has halved the country’s prison population. According to the ministry of justice (MoJ), before the adoption of an August 2006 amnesty law, some 12,000 prisoners were in the jails in Tajikistan. Under the Independence Day amnesty, a total of 6,731 inmates were released, while 4,508 prisoners were granted partial amnesty (they had their sentences commuted).
