DUSHANBE, November 3, 2011, Asia-Plus — The NGO Coalition against Torture released a statement on November 3, in which it urges the authorities to investigate Bahromiddin Shodiyev’s death.
The Coalition is seriously concerned over the death of the 28-year-old Bahromiddin Shodiyev, who was detained on October 19 on suspicion of having committed a series of thefts and died in the National Medical Center on October 30.
The statement, in particular, says that it is not the first case when persons detained on suspicion of committing any crime find themselves in a hospital, where they die from injuries sustained in ill-treatment at police stations.
Similar situation happened to Safarali Sangov who died last March from severe injuries sustained in what his relatives say was a beating at a police station in Dushanbe”s Sino district, the statement noted.
The NGO Coalition against Torture stresses that such reports on outrageous violation of human rights may undermine Tajikistan’s image ahead of the national report on implementation of the UN The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the “Torture Convention”). Consideration of Tajikistan’s report on the implementation of the UN Torture Convention is scheduled for 2012.
The Coalition urges the authorities to thoroughly investigate Shodiyev’s death and guarantee that the investigation results will be made public.
The NGO Coalition against Torture — which consists of several independent law consultancy groups such as Amparo, Avesta, the Union of Lawyers of Sughd Province, and the Independent Center for Human Rights — has reportedly operated in Tajikistan since 2007.
We will recall that the 28-year-old resident of Dushanbe Bahromiddin Shodiyev, who has been detained on suspicion of having committed a series of thefts, has died in a hospital following detention by police.
Relatives say Bahromiddin Shodiyev died on October 30 eleven days after he was beaten in a police station in Dushanbe’s Shohmansour district.
Meanwhile, police say Shodiyev, who they suspected of having committed a series of thefts, tried to escape by jumping out of a second-floor window during his interrogation at the police station.
The Interior Ministry spokesman Mahmadullo Asadulloyev says Shodiyev had three previous convictions. “He was detained on October 19 on suspicion of having committed a series of thefts. “All the facts were proved and Shodiyev admitted to the thefts,” said Asadulloyev, “During the interrogation, he jumped out of the second-floor window. Shodiyev was taken to the National Medical Center on October 20 where he died on October 30 of tuberculosis and splanchnopathy.”
Bahromiddin’s mother, Niyozbibi Bouriyeva, says her son suffered from drug addiction and they were going to hospitalize him on October 19, “but four police officers detained him not far from our house and took him to the police station in the Shohmansour district.” “The next day, he was taken to the resuscitation department. Physicians needed my permission for operation; that is why police informed me that my son is in the hospital,” Ms. Bouriyeva said.
According to her, Bahromiddin told her that police officers severely beat him making him admit to the crimes he did not commit. “He said they used beatings and electric shock to extort confessions,” said she. “He said police taped his mouth shut so no one could hear him screaming. He was practically unconscious when heard that policemen were agreeing that if anything goes wrong they will say that he sustained injuries while jumping out the second-floor window.”
Physicians from the National Medical Center say Shodiyev had serious craniocerebral injury and intracerebral hematoma.
