In a statement released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on July 4, UN experts urged Tajikistan to show genuine commitment to improving the situation of human rights defenders in the country. The experts expressed concern about the convictions of several human rights defenders and emphasized that criminalizing their legitimate peaceful work is incompatible with Tajikistan's international human rights obligations.
The UN experts raised the cases of several human rights defenders with the Tajikistani government, including Daler Imomali, Abdulloh Ghurbati, Zavqibek Saidamini, Abdusattor Pirmuhammadzoda, Ulfathonim Mamadshoyeva, Manouchehr Kholiqnazarov, Faromouz Irgashov, and Khushom Guliam. These defenders were allegedly sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven to 29 years between October and December 2022.
While the charges against these defenders varied, the experts expressed grave concern about the apparent use of anti-terrorism legislation to silence critical voices. Eight out of the nine defenders were accused of extremism and terrorism-related offenses. The experts emphasized that conflating human rights defenders with extremists and terrorists is a dangerous practice.
Among the defenders mentioned, Daler Imomali, Abdulloh Ghurbati, Zavqibek Saidamini, and Abdusattor Pirmuhammadzoda are journalists and bloggers who were arrested in June and July 2022. Their arrests seem to be linked to their coverage of social issues and alleged human rights abuses.
Ulfathonim Mamadshoyeva, a civil society representative of the Pamiri minority and journalist, as well as Pamiri lawyers Manouchehr Kholiqnazarov and Faromouz Irgashov, along with Khushom Guliam, a journalist and blogger who popularized Pamiri culture, were arrested in May 2022 during a crackdown on protesters in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO). These individuals were actively involved in defending human rights in the region.
The UN experts highlighted the importance of fair and public hearings by competent, independent, and impartial courts as a crucial guarantee under international human rights law. However, they noted that the information received suggests gross violations of fair trial standards. Access to lawyers was allegedly restricted for at least five defenders, while at least three criminal cases were classified as secret. Moreover, at least eight trials of human rights defenders were closed to the public, and several due process violations occurred during these proceedings.
Reports that Zavqibek Saidamini, Abdusattor Pirmukhammadzoda, and Khushom Guliam were subjected to enforced disappearance, and that Daler Imomali, Abdusattor Pirmukhammadzoda, and Ulfathonim Mamadshoeva were ill-treated and tortured, including to extract false confessions, left the UN experts appalled. They called for prompt, impartial, and effective investigations into these allegations, urging the responsible individuals to be brought to justice. The experts also inquired about the investigation into the attack on Abdulloh Ghurbati in May 2020.
Expressing concern about the conditions of detention and the health of all the human rights defenders, the experts urged the Tajikistani government to ensure they have access to adequate healthcare, including medical treatment and medication.
The UN experts recalled the remarks of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, who stated that these criminal cases represent only the tip of the iceberg. They called on Tajikistan to demonstrate its willingness to create an enabling and safe environment for all human rights defenders in line with its international obligations and commitments.
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