Tajikistan has scrapped criminal penalties for "liking" social media posts deemed extremist, marking a shift in the country’s approach to regulating online speech. President Emomali Rakhmon signed the legislative change into law, according to Reuters.
The amendment removes criminal liability for interacting with content that publicly calls for terrorism or other serious crimes—interactions that previously included liking, commenting, or reacting with emojis on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
Since the law’s initial implementation in 2018, more than 1,500 individuals have reportedly been imprisoned under these provisions, with many accused of engaging with online posts linked to banned opposition groups or terrorist propaganda.
Tajikistan, a Central Asian nation of roughly 10mn people bordered by Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China, has faced a series of militant attacks in recent months. Some of the attackers have claimed allegiance to the Islamic State, prompting a heightened government focus on national security and extremism.
The original law, passed as part of a broader crackdown on online extremism, had allowed courts to sentence individuals to up to 15 years in prison for actions interpreted as public support for terrorism—even if limited to digital interactions like a “like” or an emoji.
President Rakhmon, who has ruled Tajikistan since 1994, publicly criticized the law in 2024, urging officials to reconsider the severity of such prosecutions. His comments appear to have paved the way for this recent legislative reversal.
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