Tajikistan opens police stations dealing with domestic violence
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 20 August 2010 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Tajikistan opens police stations dealing with domestic violence, 20 August 2010, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4c7633cca.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
August 20, 2010
OSCE representative Ivar Vikki (right) meets with Tajik Interior Minister Abdurahim Qahhorov on August 20.
DUSHANBE – Five special police stations that will assist victims of domestic violence have opened in Dushanbe and other Tajik towns, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reports.
The facilities are the first of their kind in post-Soviet Central Asia.
Interior Minister General Abdurahim Qahhorov, who took part in the August 19 opening ceremony in Dushanbe, said Tajiks traditionally do not report family disputes to police.
He said that was why special police stations for working with victims of domestic violence were being opened. Qahhorov said victims, especially women, were encouraged to report instances of violence.
Each special unit is staffed by officers, including at least one female inspector, who attended a June course organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) office in Dushanbe on investigating and responding to cases of domestic violence.
Ivar Vikki, who heads that office, said that opening the stations showed Tajikistan's commitment to treat domestic violence as a crime and to support victims. He noted that the OSCE, which sponsored the opening of the stations, encouraged the authorities to support law enforcement further by passing a law on domestic violence, which has been pending since 2007.
According to official statistics, during the first six months of 2010 Tajik police registered at least 400 crimes related to domestic violence. The Interior Ministry monitors some 2,000 families with a record of domestic violence.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
