Criminal
Death penalty under an indefinite moratorium since 2004
Capital punishment remains in the Criminal Code but a moratorium has been in force since 2004 and no executions have been carried out. Sentences are commuted to long imprisonment.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — City and district courts, regional courts on appeal, Supreme Court on cassation.
- Deadline — Detention limited to 72 hours before a court must authorise custody
- Deadline — Appeal within 15 days of the judgment
Governing law
- Criminal Code of the Republic of Tajikistan1998
- Criminal Procedure Code2009
- Law on Suspension of the Death Penalty2004
Penalties and consequences
- Death penalty retained in law but suspended since 2004; life imprisonment in practice
- Imprisonment, fines, corrective labour and confiscation
In practice
A working group has considered full abolition for years without a final decision, so the formal position remains suspension rather than repeal. Torture was made a distinct offence in 2012 following treaty-body pressure, but the Committee against Torture has continued to record concerns about incommunicado detention and access to counsel. Extremism and terrorism offences are drawn broadly and have been used against political and religious activity, which is the dominant criminal-justice concern reported by international bodies.