• Tajikistan’s government persists with enforcing a repressive law on religion and in 2011 introduced new legislation further restricting religious expression and education. Authorities exercise strict control over media freedoms, and journalists are targeted for their work; in October 2011 BBC correspondent Urunboy Usmonov was found guilty on politically-motivated charges of complicity in the activities of a banned religious extremist organization.In January 2011, authorities prosecuted and convicted two law enforcement officers after a man died in custody, but torture remains an enduring problem in Tajikistan. Domestic violence against women also continues to be a serious problem in Tajik society.

  • Jan 31, 2013
    Kazakh and Uzbek authorities intensified persecution of outspoken government critics in 2012, while none of the five Central Asian governments seriously tackled longstanding, grave human rights abuses, such as widespread impunity for torture.
  • Nov 22, 2012
    European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton should meet with human rights defenders and publicly call for the release of wrongfully imprisoned activists during her upcoming visit to Central Asia.

Reports

Tajikistan

  • Jan 31, 2013
    Kazakh and Uzbek authorities intensified persecution of outspoken government critics in 2012, while none of the five Central Asian governments seriously tackled longstanding, grave human rights abuses, such as widespread impunity for torture.
  • Nov 24, 2012
    At the height of summer, when foreign ministers adopted the European Union's new human-rights strategy, Catherine Ashton, the high representative for foreign affairs, was eloquent in promising to make these issues a core ingredient in the EU's foreign relations.
  • Nov 22, 2012
    European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton should meet with human rights defenders and publicly call for the release of wrongfully imprisoned activists during her upcoming visit to Central Asia.
  • Nov 15, 2012
  • Nov 15, 2012
  • Oct 25, 2012
    A court’s decision on October 24, 2012 to close a leading human rights organization in Tajikistan is a serious blow to the country’s civil society and should be reconsidered in line with Tajikistan’s international obligations to uphold the freedom of association.
  • Aug 1, 2012
    The Global Network Initiative (GNI) is concerned by the restrictions on the right to freedom of expression imposed by the Government of Tajikistan following violence in the region of Gorno-Badakhshan. Last week the government mandated the blocking of video-sharing website YouTube and reportedly shut down communications networks in Gorno-Badakhshan, severely restricting the free flow of information. A number of news sites, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), have also been reported blocked.
  • Jul 30, 2012
    Tajik authorities should respect human rights during a security operation in Gorno Badakhshan, a semi-autonomous region of eastern Tajikistan.
  • Jun 26, 2012
    I cannot help but wonder what Azimjon Askarov would say in reaction to this week's EU foreign ministers' statement "welcom[ing] the progress" in implementing the European Union's strategy for Central Asia.
  • Jun 20, 2012
    The European Union’s (EU) effectiveness to promote rights improvements in Central Asia is hampered by its reticence to articulate clear expectations for reform and follow through with policy consequences when those expectations are not met.