OSCE supports the first penitentiary reform forum of Tajikistan focused on development of prison system

The first penitentiary reform forum of Tajikistan, supported by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, was held on 20 November 2019 in Dushanbe and focused on the development of the prison system in Tajikistan.

The forum was organised in a joint effort with the Main Directorate for the Execution of Criminal Sentences under the Justice Ministry of Tajikistan, the European Union, Penal Reform International, the Government of the United Kingdom, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The aim of the forum was to discuss key issues related to the effective management of penitentiary reform in the country. 

Experts, civil society representatives and government officials discussed issues ranging from the prevention of violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism in facilities to instituting probation. They also discussed the importance of strengthening safety and security measures in closed facilities by sharing best practices from different countries and by developing a comprehensive prison rehabilitation programme.

“The OSCE Programme Office promotes the implementation of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, with a particular attention paid to prisons and future probation management,” said the Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, Valeriu Chiveri. “It is crucial to comply with international human rights norms and standards, including the rights to freedom of movement, freedom of expression and privacy, gender equality and the principle of non-discrimination.”

Mansurjon Umarov, Deputy Minister of Tajikistan’s Justice Ministry and Head of the Main Directorate for the Execution of Criminal Sentences, said that 20,000 detainees were to receive amnesty by end of December 2019 of which 10,277 persons have already been released.

An OSCE-supported two-day workshop was held following the forum for prison staff on building an effective prison management system and the implementation of rehabilitation programmes.