Police Reform

Measures to improve the discipline and legitimacy taken by the police

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Police Reform between the Government of Tajikistan and the OSCE was ratified on February 2012 and entered into force on 25 February 2012.

According to the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan Mr. Ramazon Rakhimov, it means that “Tajikistan is committed to execute the provisions of the Memorandum.”

In accordance with the MoU, the OSCE OiT has been assisting, still assists and supports the Tajik side in local police reforming process, the activity of which should be built on the basis of modern democratic principles and universal values.

The Police Reform Steering Group (PRSG) was established and in its meetings such issues as drafting Police Reforms Strategy, the progress on the Draft Law “On Police,” and other drafts of legal regulatory acts were considered.

On the initiative of the OSCE, a Sub-Group “Civil Society Assistance to Police Reform” was established within the Working Group, composed of the most active members of the civil society in Tajikistan, namely prominent human rights activists, representatives of media, intellectuals and different NGOs.

The group members jointly with the OSCE experts and MIA representatives will draft and get approved a Community Policing Concept, and the conduct of independent monitoring of police activities in the field by civil society. A special Committee to monitor an observance by the police the law and protection of human rights will be created. It will be entitled to conduct monitoring and internal oversight of police officers in order to ensure the rule of law and to improve human rights safeguards in police activities.

It is all stipulated in the Draft Police Reform Strategy of Tajikistan with its initial draft developed by international experts with the financial support of the OSCE. The Draft Strategy was revised by national experts, and was approved by the Decree of the President of Tajikistan on 18 March 2013. The Police Reform and Development Program is being developed at the moment on the basis of the Strategy, which will be further submitted to the Government of Tajikistan for approval and will serve as a “roadmap” for the police reform in Tajikistan for the period until 2020.

However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has already started taking measures on improving the discipline and legitimacy amongst the police staff. The MIA website has been launched in three languages, with the “Contact us” section, where citizens can send their messages and statements on offences committed by police staff. Moreover, the MIA has 24/7 “hotlines” through which citizens may contact the MIA to make their contribution in reinforcing the rule of law and inform about illegal actions and cases of crime concealment by the police officers. All phone calls and taken measures are reported to the Minister of Internal Affairs in the form of a daily summary. In case of committing an offence by the police staff, an order to conduct an internal investigation of such facts will be given immediately.

Thus, after the message warning on the withdrawal of illegal check point in Vose dictrict an internal oversight was carried out. According to the results, it was revealed that from 6 to 7 August 2013 in the location called “Olimtoy” of Vose district, the police officers have created a check point without coordinating it with the management of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where the drivers and passengers were checked unreasonably.

By the decree of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Lieutenant-General Ramazon Rahimov, the incident was subject to internal oversight, and the following police officers involved in the incident were subject to the disciplinary actions:

- the Head of area subdivision of Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) in Kulyab group of districts, who is in the meantime  the Deputy Head of Khatlon region DIA, Colonel Abdulvakhob Iskandarov was reprimanded for involving an additional extra forces in the check point “Olimtoy” and for stopping vehicles without any reason, which caused traffic jams on the road;

- the Head of Department of State Auto Inspection (DSAI) of area subdivision of DIA of Kulyab group of districts in Khatlon region, Major Dilshod Fozilov has got a strong reprimand for weak supervision of subordinates;

- the DSAI Patrol Unit Commander of area subdivision of Kulyab group of districts in Khatlon region, Senior Lieutenant Sayod Kayumov was reprimanded for weak supervision of subordinates, for wrong accounting in the registration book of the check-point “Olimtoy” in the Vose district, as well as for keeping the surveillance cameras out-of-order;

- the Inspector on Investigation of the DSAI of Kulyab group of districts in Khatlon region, Senior Lieutenant Ikromjon Kamolov, and the Inspector of the DSAI Patrol Detachment of the area subdivision of Kulyab group of districts in Khatlon region, Zokir Tabarov was reprimanded for infraction of requirements under the MIA Order #754 from 7 December 2010 on announcement of “Regulations on patrolling service in the State Auto Inspection of the Republic of Tajikistan” and for neglecting of his duties.