There have been many stories during recent years about torture of prisoners and inmates’ death cases as a result of ill treatment in prisons of Tajikistan. These stories are usually widely discussed in international arena.

According to Tajik authorities, including officials of judicial system, conditions in prisons in the country are satisfactory. Officials claim that reports of international organizations about torture and ill treatment in prisons of Tajikistan are merely “fabricated empty accusations”.

“Jarayon” interviewed a recently released inmate about the conditions in prisons of this Central Asian country.

Saydali Kazakov was sentenced to seven years in prison with charges of “fraud” of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Tajikistan, and served the sentence in prison #1 in capital city Dushanbe.

In the beginning of interview Saydali Kazakov tells that charges against him were fabricated.

“It would be appropriate if they detained me for illegal possession of weapon. I had a pistol that was not registered anywhere. But the criminal group that could not make me work for them, and its head Rustam Hayitov, who is now in prison, are behind putting this charges on me,” says Kazakov.

Jarayon: Usually, punishment is given to correct person’s behavior. Are there any conditions in prisons of Tajikistan for inmates to change and return to healthy lifestyle?

Kazakov: No. In a prison, where I personally served my sentence, inmates were treated like animals. Since my release, my mother wakes me up every night because I cry at nights. There [in prison – Jarayon] no one gets a good treatment and cannot return healthy. I had a bronchitis in prison.

My head still aches as they used to beat me on my head. I spent three years in “spetskritiy” section of the prison. Mainly lifers are kept there. There were more then seventy people, and many of them had died – some in prison, some in freedom after release. Even prison personnel used to call us “people of hell”.

Jarayon: Have any representatives of international organizations or Attorney Prosecutor’s Office paid a visit to that place, where you spent three years of your term?

Kazakov: No, no one visits it. It has become like a torture island. Even prison’s prosecutor Anvar Salimov used to say from other side of closed doors: “Do you have any complaints? Don’t complain about beatings, it is not new to me.” Recently, the prosecutor himself was charged with bribery and sentenced to eight years in prison. We sent him a letter saying “How is your condition now in prison, prosecutor?” He replied “Now I understand everything”.

Jarayon: There are many cases when convicts complain about unjust decision of judges. What do you think of this?

Kazakov: Almost 70 percent of inmates in prisons of Tajikistan, including those, who where charged with sexual assault, were put behind bars on fabricated accusations. After I was released, I met with several “victims” of sexual assaults. They confessed that they lied during court hearings and that the cases were “ordered” by others. Girls expressed concerns about their safety.

Jarayon: Do you know how female inmates are treated in prisons?

Kazakov: I know just a little bit. As women’s prison is outside the city, I do not know much about it. But one thing I can tell without doubt – women, including those who are charges with religious extremism, are already tortured in SIZOs (pre-trial detention centers – Jarayon). One of those women told how she was sexually assaulted and humiliated.

Jarayon: About a month ago inmate Hamza Ikromov died in prison #1 in Dushanbe. His relatives claim that he died due to severe torture. Officials are denying the accusations. What can you tell about it?

Kazakov: Of course, I have heard about it. It is not only Hamza Ikromov, but everyone is beaten there. During those seven years I spent in prison, 16 inmates died because of torture and intentionally infected diseases.

That night when Hamza died, I went to toilet at night and saw how prison guards were taking him to a special room. Hamza’s liver was damaged during beatings. Guards were afraid that he had died and put plastic bottles with hot water on his body. Official statement that Hamza hanged himself is nothing but lie.

Jarayon: Tajikistan’s Judicial and Internal affairs ministries claim that they are fighting against torture in prisons and detention centers, and installed surveillance cameras in all these facilities. Were there any such cameras in a prison, where you served your sentence?

Kazakov: Cameras are installed only in prison’s yard and corridors. There are no cameras in cells and special rooms of prison guards. Guards are not satisfied if they do not beat inmates once a day. They have such a sickness. Most of them are legally ignorant. And most of the prison doctors are veterinarians. Many of them are from Dangara.

For example, Sherafkan, Rustam, Muzaffar, Ubayd and Akbar – they are guards in “spetskritiy” section. They used to beat me too. In three occasions I lost my consciousness because of their beatings. Then I protested and cut my veins. I told the administration that I would kill myself if they beat me again. Guards at “spetskritiy” do not want their secrets to be spread outside. Therefore, they beat and threaten inmates.

Jarayon: You are the first of freed prisoners today, who is willing to talk to media about the secrets behinds the bars…

Kazakov: I am doing this because I feel sorry for those Tajikistani mothers, whose children are being ill treated in prisons and killed in prisons. Of course I promised the prison guards not to tell anyone about conditions behind the bars. But I think it is not right to keep silence if we want to stop tortures in prisons. I think president Imomali Rahmon is not informed about this.

If the head of state finds out about this, ill-treatment of inmates will end in jails. I get many calls from prison. Former fellow inmates say I declared a war against the “top officials” and ask if I was scared or not. Prison guards are threatening me. But I am not scared, because I am not doing anything wrong. On contrary, I am just letting public know about the real situation in our prisons.