DUSHANBE, April 10, Asia-Plus  -- “Not less than 1000 people are currently imprisoned in Tajikistan because of their political beliefs,” Rahamtillo Zoirov, leader of Tajikistan’s Social-Democratic Party (SDPT), announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on April 7.   

According to him, 30 persons have been imprisoned for their political activity, more than 200 persons have belonged to one or other political structure and some 80 percent of the mentioned political prisoners have become victims of the policy followed by the state.  

“We have prepared a report on political prisoners in Tajikistan, and this report based on various sources covers the period beginning from 1999,” the SDPT leader noted.  

“Independence of judicial system in Tajikistan is just a myth,” said Rahamtillo Zoirov, “Judges in the country work on the basis of anarchy and judicial arbitrariness.” 

He also said that the report would be submitted to the Prosecutor-General’s Office and the Ministry of Security.  

“I do not expect anything special from them, but we should do all in our power,” the SDPT leader stressed.

According to him, number of deaths in Tajikistan’s jails exceeds number of killings committed in the country.