DUSHANBE, October 20, 2011, Asia-Plus — International organizations and representatives of Government of Tajikistan are discussing issues on death penalty in the course of roundtable on “From Moratorium towards Abolition of the Death Penalty in Tajikistan: Problems and Prospects” that is going on today in Dushanbe in a conference-hall of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Tajikistan.
According to a press release issued by the EU Delegation in Tajikistan, the event is organized by Nota Bene public association with support from European Union and Swiss Confederation and as well as Penal Reform International and Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation – Tajikistan.
Mr. Jumakhon Davlatov, State Adviser to the President of Tajikistan for Legal Policy, Mr. Eduard Auer, Ambassador, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan and representatives of a number of embassies of European states and civil society organizations are participating in a work of roundtable.
The following topics are being discussed in the course of the event: abolition of the death penalty in Tajikistan; activities of Working Group on studying social-legal aspects of abolition of the death penalty for 2010-2011; revision of recommendations for abolition of the death penalty in the context of consideration of the Universal Periodic Review; and civil society organizations activities for promotion of death penalty abolition. Also, there will be a presentation of the web-site “Abolition of the Death Penalty in the Republic of Tajikistan.”
October 10 was celebrated as the World Day against Death Penalty. Ms. Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Mr. Thorbjorn Jagland, General Secretary of the Council of Europe made a joint statement on that day.
“European Union and the Council of Europe reaffirm their united opposition to the death penalty and their commitment to its worldwide abolition” – is noted in the statement.
Also it is stated that capital punishment is a cruel and inhuman punishment; it discredits human dignity. “Experience in Europe has taught us that the death penalty does not prevent an increase in violent crime, and nor does it bring justice to the victims of such crimes” – note Mr. Thorbjorn Jagland and Ms. Catherine Ashton.
The statement notes that any capital punishment resulting from a miscarriage of justice, from which no legal system can be immune, represents irreversible loss of human life.
Since 2004, Tajikistan put moratorium on death penalty. At the same year, life imprisonment was declared as a legal alternative of that punishment. In spite of the fact that no death penalty issued in Tajikistan, this type of punishment exists de-jure. Number of articles in Tajikistan, for which capital punishment used to be delivered, was decreased from 16 up to 5 and they were for murder, terrorism, rape, biocide and genocide.
