For years, Tajik officials have repeatedly tortured political prisoner Mahmadali Hayit and subjected him to cruel and humiliating treatment while holding him in degrading prison conditions, according to credible testimonies. Makhmadali Hayit is a deputy chairperson of Tajikistan’s largest opposition party, the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), which was banned by authorities in 2015. He was sentenced to life in prison on trumped-up and bogus charges in 2016, following a deeply flawed trial that was closed to observers.
Under the prison regime imposed on him, Hayit is only allowed one family visit once every six months. On June 2 this year, his wife and two of his sisters were able to visit him in prison. On June 16, his sister Gulbibi Hayitova, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Tajik service about the torture and degrading treatment Hayit suffers behind bars in Tajikistan. According to her account, prison officials have beaten him with batons, forced him to stand naked in the snow and have placed him in solitary confinement in a punishment cell for up to two weeks.
Mahmadali Hayit’s son, Firuz Mahmadali, told the Norwegian Helsinki Committee that Hayit has been repeatedly beaten over the years, with fists, kicks and batons, and that he has almost lost hearing completely in one ear as a result of the treatment. Mahmadali also told the NHC that Hayit has been immersed in water and has had his mattress taken away, forcing him to sleep directly on the floor. He also reports repeated humiliation and demeaning and degrading treatment by prison staff and that his father is serving in a crowded cell.
“These accounts of torture are merely the latest in a relentless stream of deeply disturbing reports emerging from Tajikistan where the human rights situation continues to deteriorate sharply,” said Berit Lindeman, Secretary General of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. “For years on end, authorities and perpetrators have enjoyed impunity while gross human rights violations continue to go unchecked. Now is the time for Tajikistan’s democratic partners to implement targeted Magnitsky-style sanctions against key responsible officials.”
Makhmadali Hayit, an elderly man who is now 68 years old, also suffers from serious heart problems. In 2019, prison officials denied him access to heart medication after he had suffered a heart attack. At the time, he also reported serious and repeated torture, including severe beatings. In addition to heart issues, Hayit also suffers from liver and kidney conditions, and according to his wife, has not been provided with sufficient medical care for these afflictions.
In 2018, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) issued an opinion concluding that Hayit’s detention is unlawful and called on the government of Tajikistan to release him immediately and unconditionally. Later, Tajik authorities have persisted in their claim that Hayit was lawfully and correctly sentenced, despite continued failure to present any credible evidence to support it. During the July 3, 2019 session of the UN Human Rights Committee on 3 July 2019, Tajik government representatives stated that Makhmadali Hayit’s guilt had been fully proven in court and that his sentence was lawful. They further asserted that the case of Saidov is not subject to review.
“Tajik authorities must immediately cease all torture and ill-treatment of Mahmadali Hayit and other political prisoners, and ensure their prompt release and adequate compensation, in line with the opinions issued by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention”, Lindeman said.
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