DUSHANBE, May 18, 2011, Asia-Plus – Deputies of Tajikistan’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament have unanimously endorsed a bill on the procedure of holding a suspect or a defendant in custody.
A regular sitting of the second session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the fourth convocation, presided over by its head, Shukurjon Zuhurov, was held on May 18.
Presenting the bill, Justice Minister Bakhtiyor Khudoyorov noted that the bill determines the procedure of receiving and sending letters, meetings with relatives, medical services and food supplies for this category of persons.
“The bill prohibits holding first-time offenders and repeated criminals in one cell,” said the minister, “The bill also prohibits holding juvenile offenders and adult criminals in one cell. Besides, this draft law provides for improvement of prison conditions for female suspects.”
Parliamentarians approved the draft law unanimously.
Speaking to journalists after the sitting, Bakhtiyor Khudoyorov noted that an amount allocated for holding one prisoner was “a secret data.” He just noted that compared to 2010 that amount had been raised by 20 percent.
We will recall that Tajikistan”s lower chamber of parliament last month voted to improve prison conditions for convicts serving life sentences. Tajikistan announced a moratorium in 2004 on implementing the death penalty. Since then, the maximum penalty given to criminals has been life imprisonment. But the regime for such prisoners was unclear. Justice Minister Bakhtiyor Khudoyorov said on April 13 that prisoners jailed for life will now be entitled to a minimum of two meetings per year with relatives and given a third meeting in the case of “good behavior.” He added that the conditions for prisoners serving life sentences should be better than they are for other prisoners. Under the new legislation, those serving life sentences will be allowed the unrestricted purchase of goods from the prison store. Prisoners serving life sentences whose conduct is “good” will be kept no more than two in a cell.
