Letter to Donald Tusk, President of the European Council

To the President of the European Council

Mr. Donald Tusk

 Dear Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, we have heard that soon you are planning to visit Central Asian countries with a special program. This visit of yours comes at a time when the human rights situation in Tajikistan is very worrying.

Dear Donald Tusk, when you enter Tajikistan the first thing that you might notice will be intimidating atmosphere and fake smile on the face of those who you meet. However, we hope that you will notice sad, tormented and oppressed people while walking down the streets of Dushanbe and become aware of the realities of life of people. And the reality is that these people’s rights are violated.

In addition, around the city, which is not that big, there are 4-5 prisons in which most of the prisoners are convicted on fabricated charges. Among them there are more than 400 political prisoners and state of health of most of them is very worrying as they are subjected to physical and mental abuse being the most oppressed prisoners. On May 19, 2019 more than 30 prisoners, many of whom had been imprisoned on politically motivated charges, were killed mercilessly in Vahdat prison. It’s worth to mention that seven months ago, on November 8, 2018 the Tajik authorities killed mercilessly around 50 prisoners. We are worried that killing prisoners under the guise of riot will become an ordinary order for the authorities.

In the same time in Tajikistan not only spouses and children, but also many of the relatives of political prisoners are subjected to continuous pressures by the authorities. The authorities created the atmosphere in the country in a way that violates most of the constitutional rights of citizens, children and relatives of the political prisoners, and opposition.

The National Committee for the Release of Political Hostages and Prisoners of Tajikistan (NCRPHPT) kindly asks you to bring up the subject of pressure and torture, individual and mass killings of the prisoners during your meeting with the high representatives of the country.

For the sake of protecting the defenseless part of the society, our committee kindly asks you:

1)      To meet with the political prisoners. Even though they won’t be able to tell you everything in the presence of prison representatives, we hope that you will get to know much of the realities after conducting such meetings.

2)      If possible, to arrange meetings with the relatives and children of the political prisoners, that live in the capital city. They will tell you much about the violations of their rights and the rights of the political prisoners.

3)      To arrange a special meeting with some of the children and spouses of the political prisoners that live in EU countries as refugees. It would help gather complete information on violations of the rights of the political prisoners and their relatives in Tajikistan.

4)      There are many threats against political prisoners. But after the incident in the prison of Vahdat, threats against Mahmadali Hayit, the deputy chairman of the IRPT, have been increasing day after day. He warned us earlier that the plan of murdering him in the prison exists. It would be very good if you held a special discussion with the Tajik authorities on the security and state of health of Mahmadali Hayit. Unfortunately, all the other political prisoners are also in an unsafe environment, especially Zayd Said, the head of the unregistered party “New Tajikistan”.

5)      For the sake of defending the rights of the political prisoners, NCRPHPT is ready to cooperate with the European Council and to provide it and other organizations with more information.

The National Committee for the Release of Political Hostages and Prisoners of Tajikistan

Warsaw 28.05.2019