Court orders interior ministry to pay 10,000 somoni to torture victim
A court in Dushanbe’s Ismoili Somoni district has partially upheld a lawsuit filed by Nematjon (Nemat) Ashurmatov, who alleged he was tortured by police officers while in custody, ordering the Ministry of Internal Affairs to pay him 10,000 somoni (about US950 $) in compensation for moral damages.
Ashurmatov had sought 280,000 somoni in damages.
His lawyer, Ms. Gulchehra Kholmatova, told Asia-Plus that the ruling was issued on June 18. She said the defense considers the compensation insufficient and plans to appeal the decision before the Dushanbe City Court.
The lawsuit against the Ministry of Internal Affairs was filed in March with the support of the Coalition of Civil Society Against Torture and Impunity in Tajikistan.
Neither the Ismoili Somoni District Court nor the Ministry of Internal Affairs has publicly commented on the ruling. Asia-Plus said it was unable to obtain a response from the ministry.
Ashurmatov was detained in early 2024 on suspicion of involvement in illegal drug trafficking. He alleges that while being held at the Khujand Police Department, he was subjected to torture and other forms of cruel treatment by police officers.
At the time, the Coalition Against Torture reported that a forensic medical examination documented 26 bruises on Ashurmatov’s body consistent with beatings.
On April 29, 2024, the Sughd regional prosecutor’s office opened a criminal investigation against four officers of the Khujand Police Department on charges of abuse of power. Three officers were arrested, while a fourth was placed on the wanted list. At the request of the victim’s lawyers, the charges were later reclassified to torture under Article 143¹, Part 2 of Tajikistan’s Criminal Code.
According to human rights advocates, those charged included former Khujand Police Department deputy chief Dilshod Narzullozoda and three of his subordinates.
A court in Sughd’s Bobojon-Gafurov district later convicted Narzullozoda on multiple charges and sentenced him to 21 years in prison. Another former police officer, Abduqodir Karimov, was sentenced to 19 years in a maximum-security penal colony. The authorities have not publicly disclosed the outcome of proceedings against the remaining two defendants.
Human rights groups say allegations of torture and ill-treatment by law enforcement officers continue to surface regularly in Tajikistan. While authorities frequently deny such accusations, criminal prosecutions of police officers remain relatively rare.
In one recent case, on January 27, 2025, a former deputy chief of a police station in Dushanbe’s Shohmansour district was sentenced to 13 years in prison after being convicted of torture and unlawful detention.
Ashurmatov had sought 280,000 somoni in damages.
His lawyer, Ms. Gulchehra Kholmatova, told Asia-Plus that the ruling was issued on June 18. She said the defense considers the compensation insufficient and plans to appeal the decision before the Dushanbe City Court.
The lawsuit against the Ministry of Internal Affairs was filed in March with the support of the Coalition of Civil Society Against Torture and Impunity in Tajikistan.
Neither the Ismoili Somoni District Court nor the Ministry of Internal Affairs has publicly commented on the ruling. Asia-Plus said it was unable to obtain a response from the ministry.
Ashurmatov was detained in early 2024 on suspicion of involvement in illegal drug trafficking. He alleges that while being held at the Khujand Police Department, he was subjected to torture and other forms of cruel treatment by police officers.
At the time, the Coalition Against Torture reported that a forensic medical examination documented 26 bruises on Ashurmatov’s body consistent with beatings.
On April 29, 2024, the Sughd regional prosecutor’s office opened a criminal investigation against four officers of the Khujand Police Department on charges of abuse of power. Three officers were arrested, while a fourth was placed on the wanted list. At the request of the victim’s lawyers, the charges were later reclassified to torture under Article 143¹, Part 2 of Tajikistan’s Criminal Code.
According to human rights advocates, those charged included former Khujand Police Department deputy chief Dilshod Narzullozoda and three of his subordinates.
A court in Sughd’s Bobojon-Gafurov district later convicted Narzullozoda on multiple charges and sentenced him to 21 years in prison. Another former police officer, Abduqodir Karimov, was sentenced to 19 years in a maximum-security penal colony. The authorities have not publicly disclosed the outcome of proceedings against the remaining two defendants.
Human rights groups say allegations of torture and ill-treatment by law enforcement officers continue to surface regularly in Tajikistan. While authorities frequently deny such accusations, criminal prosecutions of police officers remain relatively rare.
In one recent case, on January 27, 2025, a former deputy chief of a police station in Dushanbe’s Shohmansour district was sentenced to 13 years in prison after being convicted of torture and unlawful detention.
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