On September 24, 2025, Emomali Rahmon addressed the UN General Assembly in New York, proposing that the coming year be declared the “International Year of Legal Awareness.”
This declaration sounds surreal, as inside Tajikistan:
- hundreds of citizens are imprisoned for demanding their rights,
- dozens of lawyers have been jailed simply for defending their clients,
- and ordinary people live without basic access to electricity and gas.
The Grim Reality: Rights Behind Bars in Tajikistan
- Political prisoners: Hundreds have been sentenced on trumped-up charges, including activists from GBAO and Gharm.
- Lawyers: Prominent attorneys like Buzurgmehr Yorov and Shukhrat Kudratov received long prison terms merely for defending their clients.
- Journalists and bloggers: Daler Imomali, Abdullo Gurbati, and Ulfatkhanum Mamadshoeva were jailed for their criticism of the government.
Security Memorandums – A Trap for Opponents
Every international agreement signed by Rahmon comes with a hidden clause:
“If my opponent enters your country, arrest and extradite him.”
Through such security memorandums, dozens of political activists have been detained and extradited from Russia, Turkey, and Belarus.
Interpol — Flooded with Tajiks
According to independent reports, Tajik citizens are among the most listed on Interpol’s Red Notices for politically motivated charges. This shows that Dushanbe uses Interpol not to fight crime but to persecute dissent.
Migrants in Russia — Abandoned and Unprotected
- Tajik migrants in Russia face daily humiliation, arrests, and violence.
- In 2023 alone, more than 100 suspicious deaths of Tajiks were reported in Russian detention centers and prisons.
- The Tajik government and its embassies remain silent, offering no protection.
Laws for Whom?
In Tajikistan, laws apply only to ordinary people. The ruling family is above justice:
- Murders, rapes, and corruption committed by Rahmon’s relatives go unpunished.
- National assets and businesses are registered under the names of his children and close kin.
Electricity Rationing, Rights Rationing
While Rahmon speaks of “legal awareness” at the UN, citizens in Tajikistan live under electricity rationing — in many regions, power is available for only a few hours a day.
Is this what Rahmon calls “legal awareness”?
The Core Question: Which Rights?
When Rahmon calls for a “Year of Legal Awareness,” the questions arise:
- Which rights?
- The rights that land citizens in jail?
- The rights that criminalize lawyers?
- The rights that exempt his family from accountability?
This UN proposal is nothing more than a political farce and a brazen lie.
📌 Appendix: Facts and Quotes from International Sources
- Human Rights Watch (2025): The Tajik government suppresses free expression, imprisons opposition and journalists, and abuses Interpol to pursue dissidents abroad.
- Amnesty International: Persecution of lawyers and activists continues; rights to assembly and free speech are severely restricted; politically motivated trials are common.
- US Human Rights Report (2023–2024): Credible reports of torture, inhumane treatment of detainees, and deprivation of basic rights.
- FIDH: Tajik migrants in Russia remain unprotected; dozens of suspicious deaths have been recorded.
- Gorno-Badakhshan (2022): Peaceful protests were brutally suppressed; hundreds were sentenced to long prison terms.
- Personal cases: Lawyers like Buzurgmehr Yorov and Shukhrat Kudratov sentenced to long terms; bloggers like Daler Imomali and Abdullo Gurbati imprisoned for criticism.
- Interpol Abuse Report: Tajik citizens are disproportionately represented on Interpol’s Red Notices for politically motivated charges.