UN Geneva: CAT 4th periodic review TJ penitentiary reform

The UN Geneva meeting summary dated 15 April 2026 reports the Committee against Torture’s review of Tajikistan’s fourth periodic report (CAT/C/TJK/4). The report states that Committee Experts welcomed Tajikistan’s progress in penitentiary reform while raising questions about training on the Convention for law enforcement and judicial personnel and the treatment of prisoners serving life sentences. Huawen Liu, Committee Vice-Chair and Country Rapporteur, is quoted noting legislative and policy developments since the 2018 review, including adoption of a national human rights strategy 2023–2038 and amendments to the Criminal Code increasing penalties for torture to between five and 15 years’ imprisonment. Ana Racu, Vice-Chair and Country Rapporteur, raised questions about prisoners serving life sentences, including confinement with inadequate ventilation, heating and sanitation, and severe restrictions on contact with the outside world. Muzaffar Ashuriyon, Minister of Justice and head of delegation, presented the report. The summary states that between 2018 and 2025, 105 complaints of torture were registered, 14 resulted in charges, and those convicted received prison terms of three to 21 years. It states that a Committee Expert noted persistent violence, hazing and ill-treatment within the military, including abuse of recruits by fellow servicemen. The delegation reported five cases of unlawful relations in the army causing three deaths with five officers found guilty, 174 inmate deaths from illnesses over three years, 53 detainees dying in 2023 per the Ombudsman, and concerns about reports of returns of Pamiri minority individuals among Afghan nationals deported between late 2024 and mid-2025. The summary references domestic violence with around 20,100 complaints registered, and between 2023 and 2025 charges pressed in 125 human trafficking cases.