On March 20, Human Rights Watch released a statement calling on Tajik authorities to immediately release Mahmadali Hayit, the deputy leader of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), from prison. The statement said Hayit was seriously ill and had been tortured.

In May 2018, the working group on arbitrary detention at the United Nations Human Rights Council released a statement saying the detention of Hayit violated international law and urging Hayit be released immediately and 'accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law.'

Hayit remains in prison.

RFE/RL's media-relations manager, Muhammad Tahir, moderated a discussion on Hayit's situation.

From Germany, independent Tajik journalist Humayra Bakhtiyar joined the conversation. From Uzbekistan, our friend Steve Swerdlow, the Central Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch, took part in the talk. From Prague, Salimjon Aioubov, the acting director of RFE/RL's Tajik Service, known locally as Ozodi, participated in the discussion. And I had something to say also.

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