UA 61/93 - Tadzhikistan: fear of torture: Mirbobo Mirrakhimov, Akhamadsho Kamilov, Khayriddin Kasymov, Khurshed Nazarov

Index Number: EUR 60/003/1993
Date Published: 8 March 1993
Categories: Europe And Central Asia, Tajikistan

The four men named above are being held at investigation-isolation prison no. 1 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Dushanbe. AI fears that they are being tortured in detention. All were previously prominent in state broadcasting and fled Tadzhikistan after government forces entered Dushanbe on 10 December 1992. However, they were detained by police in neighbouring states and returned to Tadzhikistan. They are reportedly charged with "conspiracy to overthrow the government using the mass information media"; other charges reportedly include theft of videotapes allegedly containing evidence of torture by the security forces and slander of a former speaker of parliament. All have reportedly been severely beaten and denied access to lawyers and medical treatment.