Amnesty Int'l Says Torture 'Routine' In Tajik Detention Centers

Amnesty International says torture, beatings and other ill-treatment of detainees are routine in detention centers in Tajikistan.

In a new report titled "Shattered Lives: Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Tajikistan," the London-based rights watchdog describes the risks faced by detainees.

The also details what are described as inadequate investigations by authorities into allegations of torture.

The report says the torture methods employed by Tajik authorities include electric shocks, boiling water, suffocation, beatings, burnings with cigarettes, rape and threats of rape.

It says deaths sometimes result from the torture. The report says that often, the only way detainees can escape such ill-treatment is to sign a confession or pay a bribe.

The report says torture in Tajikistan thrives in a climate of widespread corruption and impunity.
(Amnesty International)