DUSHANBE, May 16, 2013, Asia-Plus – On Wednesday May 15, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon met here with Ex-Swiss President, Ms. Ruth Dreifuss, who is member of the International Commission against Death Penalty (ICDP).

According to the Tajik president’s official website, the sides considered a number of issues related Tajikistan’s international cooperation on protection of human rights and freedom and the country’s steps towards the full abolition of the death penalty. 

Since 2004, Tajikistan put moratorium on death penalty.  At the same year, life imprisonment was declared as a legal alternative of that punishment.  In spite of the fact that no death penalty issued in Tajikistan, this type of punishment exists de-jure.  Number of articles in Tajikistan, for which capital punishment used to be delivered, was decreased from 16 up to 5 and they were for murder, terrorism, rape, biocide and genocide.

A working group to study social and legal aspects of abolition of the death penalty has operated in Tajikistan since April 2010.

President Rahmon stressed that Tajikistan would made the decision on that subject on the basis of decision of that group that would rely on public opinion and international experience.

For her part, Ms. Dreifuss noted that Tajikistan was on the right track and expressed hope that the death penalty would be abolished in the country in the near future.

She also noted that Switzerland and other countries would provide assistance to Tajikistan on that matter.

Similar issues were discussed at a meeting of Ms. Dreifuss with Shukurjon Zuhurov, Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) that took place on the same day.

Ms. Ruth Dreifuss arrived in Dushanbe for a three-day working visit on May 13.

Ms. Ruth Dreifuss (born January 9, 1940 in St. Gallen) is a Swiss politician affiliated with the Social Democratic Party.  She was a member of the Swiss Federal Council from 1993 to 2002, representing the Canton of Geneva).

She was elected to the Swiss Federal Council on March 10, 1993 as the 100th member elected since the foundation of the federal state.  She was the first woman ever to be elected President of the Confederation in 1999.

She won several referendums, including a revision of the Health Insurance Bill, the 10th revision of the social security system, a drug policy based on prevention, therapy, help and rehabilitation, and a new law regarding the film industry and its development.

She is member of the World Knowledge Dialogue Scientific Board and the International Commission against Death Penalty (ICDP).