DUSHANBE, November 29, 2013, Asia-Plus -- A member of the Islamic Revival Party (IRP) has been arbitrarily detained in Tajikistan since 30 October, a statement released by Amnesty International (AI) on November 28 says.

According to the statement, his family, who still do not have access to him, claim that he has been tortured and ill-treated while in detention, has restricted access to the family’s lawyers and that his medical treatment is inadequate.

“Thirty-four-year-old agricultural worker and member of the opposition Islamic Renaissance Party, Umed Tojiyev, was arrested on 30 October at a market in the Sughd province.  The media reported that he had disobeyed the police, and for this the Isfara City Court issued a remand order for his detention for ten days as an administrative punishment.  However, he was reportedly being forced to confess to being a “terrorist.”  Between 30 October and 2 November, several officers, including the deputy head of the Isfara Department for Internal Affairs, put a plastic bag over his head, denied him sleep, food and water, and used electric shocks through wet fabric in order to avoid leaving traces of ill-treatment.  As a result, Umed Tojiyev jumped out of the third floor window of the police station.  He said: “I am religious and understand that suicide is a sin but I did not have any choice, I needed to attract public attention as I understood that no one will help me.  […] I wanted to express protest against the unlawful actions of the police.”

“Umed Tojiyev was hospitalized with broken legs for four days and on November 5 was placed in pre-trial isolation detention.  Although he has been under the supervision of the detention medical officer, his family believes that his medical treatment has been inadequate.  On November 2 and 5, his family hired two lawyers for him.  However, they were repeatedly denied access to him, while police reportedly invited their own defense lawyer to represent him during all investigation activities.  Umed Tojiyev was only able to see a lawyer of his choice for the first time on November 13.  One lawyer stated that Umed Tojiyev was carried into the room as he could not walk, he was shaking and crying, and he said he was forced to incriminate himself under duress,” the statement said.

We will recall that the IRP activist Umedjon Tojiyev was hospitalized on November 2 after falling from the third floor of the Isfara police station.

Following testimonies from detained Zuhur Ibrohimov and Ghufron Shodiyev and confession of Tojiyev himself, the Isfara prosecutor’s office reportedly instituted criminal proceedings against Umedjon Tojiyev on November 2 under the provisions of Article 187 (2) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – organizing a criminal grouping.  He allegedly tried to escape from local police station by jumping off the third floor.

The Interior Ministry’s press center reported on November 4 that that Umedjon Tojiyev jumped from a third-floor window on November 2 and broke his leg.

Tojiyev was initially arrested on October 30 for refusing to follow police instructions.

Tojiyev’s colleagues and relatives say the charges against him are politically motivated and that he might have been tortured while in custody.