QUGHON TEPPA, July 25, 2011, Asia-Plus -- The National Human Rights Institution (Ombudsman Institution) of Tajikistan has opened its office in Qurghon Teppa, the capital of Khatlon province.

An official ceremony of opening of the office was held in Qurghon Teppa on July 23 and it was attended by the Ombudsman Zarif Alizoda, Khatlon deputy governor Abdughaffor Rahmonov and senior representatives from the Khatlon law enforcement agencies and media.

Qurbon Mirzoyev, formerly head of legal department within the Khatlon governor’s office, heads the Ombudsman Institution’s office in Qurghon Teppa.

It is the second office of the Ombudsman Institution opened in the provinces.  The first one was opened in Tursunzoda, some 60 kilometers to the west of Dushanbe, in May this year.  The Ombudsman institution plans to open its offices in Khorog and Khujand in the near future, 

A law establishing the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman was signed by the President in March 2008, and the Ombudsman, Zarif Alizoda, was appointed in May 2009.  The functions of the Human Rights Ombudsman institution include monitoring human rights in the national context, investigating and documenting rights violations, handling individual complaints, as well as providing advisory services including human rights education in school curricula.