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OSCE and UN hold roundtable on prison conditions in Tajikistan
DUSHANBE 1 June 2006
DUSHANBE, 1 June 2006 - How to improve conditions at detention facilities in Tajikistan was the theme of a roundtable organized by the OSCE Centre in Dushanbe and the United Nations Office of Peace-building in Tajikistan.
The event aimed to facilitate dialogue between representatives of penitentiary institutions, non-governmental organizations and international agencies to strengthen future co-operation in the field. The participants discussed issues such as the 2002 presidential decree on reforming the penal system, needs assessment measures, monitoring of prison conditions and access to prisons, as well as a plan of action.
"A concerted effort by prison authorities, non-governmental organizations and international partners will speed up the implementation of the 2003 Government Resolution on Reforming the Penal System," said Andrey Shugurov, Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Dushanbe. "The OSCE Centre stands ready to assist authorities in bringing prison conditions in line with international standards."
Tajikistan's First Deputy Minister of Justice, Gulchehra Sharipova, said that, following the transfer of the administration of detention facilities from the Ministry of the Interior to the Ministry of Justice in 2002, her Ministry welcomed proposals from international organizations to train its staff according to international standards.
Other participants stressed the need to improve legislation, as well as joining state and civil society efforts in monitoring conditions at correctional institutions.
The event aimed to facilitate dialogue between representatives of penitentiary institutions, non-governmental organizations and international agencies to strengthen future co-operation in the field. The participants discussed issues such as the 2002 presidential decree on reforming the penal system, needs assessment measures, monitoring of prison conditions and access to prisons, as well as a plan of action.
"A concerted effort by prison authorities, non-governmental organizations and international partners will speed up the implementation of the 2003 Government Resolution on Reforming the Penal System," said Andrey Shugurov, Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Dushanbe. "The OSCE Centre stands ready to assist authorities in bringing prison conditions in line with international standards."
Tajikistan's First Deputy Minister of Justice, Gulchehra Sharipova, said that, following the transfer of the administration of detention facilities from the Ministry of the Interior to the Ministry of Justice in 2002, her Ministry welcomed proposals from international organizations to train its staff according to international standards.
Other participants stressed the need to improve legislation, as well as joining state and civil society efforts in monitoring conditions at correctional institutions.