Human rights in Tajikistan

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Human rights in Tajikistan, a country in Central Asia, have become an issue of international concern. The access to basic human rights remains limited, with corruption in the government and the systematic abuse of the human rights of its citizens slowing down the progress of democratic and social reform in the country.

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According to a report from the United States Department of State on human rights in Tajikistan, citizens are denied many of their rights and have limited ability to change the system of government. The report found this to be especially true in the case of prisoners, whose access to basic Human Rights was inadequate: there have been reports of torture, threats, and abuse of prisoners and detainees by security forces due, in part, to their ability to act with impunity. [1] The denial of the right to a fair trial for those who stand accused of a crime has been identified as another issue, which can often contribute to harsh and life-threatening prison conditions as well as the blocking of international access to Tajikistan prisons. Pre-trial detention is typically longer than needed, and court proceeding are controlled by the prosecution. Prisons are overcrowded, and the incidence of tuberculosis and malnutrition is high among inmates.

Other restrictions include restrictions on media, freedom of speech, freedom of association, and freedom of worship, as well as restrictions on political opposition. Registration and visa difficulties, violence and discrimination against women, human trafficking, and child labour have also been reported. [2] Tajikistan is also reported to be both a source and a transit point for human trafficking. [3]

Intimidation and killings of journalists

It has been reported that, in the 1990s, dozens of journalists were killed or disappeared under mysterious circumstances in Tajikistan. Together with increasing attacks on journalists, the 2005 parliamentary elections brought increased closures of independent and opposition newspapers. In 2003, the government blocked access to the only internet website run by the political opposition and in June 2014, YouTube was partially blocked by the government. [4]

Name change law

According to Ilan Greenberg, writing in the New York Times in 2007, [5] The President of Tajikistan Emomalii Rahmon, stated that the Slavic "-ov" ending must be dropped for all babies born to Tajik parents. The policy came about in the wake of recent policies intended to remove vestiges of Russian influence on the country. In light of this, some Tajiks have expressed confusion or opposition at the denial of the freedom to choose the name for one's child.

Freedom of religion

Some activities of religious groups have been restricted by the requirement for registration with the State Committee on Religious Affairs. Islamic pilgrimages are restricted, and religious groups such as the Jehovah's Witnesses have suffered occasional persecution: since October 22, 2007, Jehovah's Witnesses have had their practices banned by the government. [6]

Allegations of systematic violence against military conscripts

In June 2014 Global Voices Online reported that the practice of systematic violence against military conscripts (referred to as dedovshina) had risen to public awareness following a recent increase in incidences of manslaughter and suicides in the Tajik Army, and the April 17, 2014 death of Akmal Davlatov, who was beaten to death by his lance sergeant. [7] [8] Kidnapping of recruits was said to be a common practice in Tajikistan and victims have sometimes videotaped their own kidnappings. [9] [7]

Examples of human rights violations

Within the country of Tajikistan, human rights violations have been a regular occurrence among the locals due to the refusal of rights from the government. These rights include religious rights, women's rights, journalists' rights, political rights and many more; these were established not only by the United Nations but the constitution of Tajikistan. [10] When the country of Tajikistan became an independent nation after being under the control of the Soviet Union, a constitution was established in 1994. Chapter 2, Articles 14 to 47 of the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan is titled "Rights, Liberties, [and] Basic Duties of Individuals and Citizens". [10] This chapter of the constitution states basic rights for the people of Tajikistan such as the rights to life and judicial protection. There have been many instances where the Government of Tajikistan has not upheld this constitution.

During 2016, human rights within Tajikistan were frequently violated, including imprisonment of opposition party members and leaders and persecution of human rights lawyers. Modification of the constitution by President Emomali Rahmon paved the way for him to reign over the country until his eventual death. The government of Tajikistan has made multiple arrests of activists within other nations that oppose government policies and ‘corruption’. [11] In the year 2013, the Tajik government passed a law stating that torture while in custody was considered illegal, yet a UN report shows that these acts still occur. Men continue to violate the constitution by participating in physical, mental and sexual abuse against women. This has affected about a third of the women living in Tajikistan. [12]

Tajikistan continues to struggle with human rights. High rates of unemployment, poverty, and crime contribute to this ongoing problem. [11]

Historical situation

The following chart shows Tajikistan’s ratings since 1991 in the Freedom in the World reports, published annually by Freedom House. A rating of 1 is "free"; 7, "not free". [13] 1

See also

Notes

1. ^ Note that the "Year" signifies the "Year covered". Therefore the information for the year marked 2008 is from the report published in 2009, and so on.
2. ^ As of January 1.
3. ^ In March 2007, President Emomali Rahmonov changed his surname to “Rahmon”, dropping the “-ov” suffix. [14]

Related Research Articles

Tajikistan Country in Central Asia

Tajikistan, officially the Republic of Tajikistan, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. It has an area of 143,100 km2 (55,300 sq mi) and an estimated population of 9,537,645 people. Its capital and largest city is Dushanbe. It is bordered by Afghanistan to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north and China to the east. The traditional homelands of the Tajik people include present-day Tajikistan as well as parts of Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.

The politics of Tajikistan takes place in a framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Legislative power is vested in both the executive branch and the two chambers of parliament.

Emomali Rahmon President of Tajikistan (1994–present)

Emomali Rahmon is the 3rd President of Tajikistan, a post he has held since 16 November 1994. Previously, he served as the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Tajikistan, as the de facto head of state from 20 November 1992 to 16 November 1994. Since 18 March 1998, he has also served as the leader of the right-wing People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan, which dominates the Parliament of Tajikistan. On 30 September 1999, he was elected vice-president of the UN General Assembly for a one-year term.

Islam in Tajikistan

Sunni Islam is, by far, the most widely practiced religion in Tajikistan. Sunni Islam of the Hanafi school is the recognized religious tradition of Tajikistan since 2009. According to a 2009 U.S. State Department release, the population of Tajikistan is 98% Muslim,, with some Sufi orders.

Tajikistani Civil War Armed conflict

The Tajikistani Civil War, also known as the Tajik Civil War, began in May 1992 when regional groups from the Garm and Gorno-Badakhshan regions of Tajikistan rose up against the newly-formed government of President Rahmon Nabiyev, which was dominated by people from the Khujand and Kulob regions. The rebel groups were led by a combination of liberal democratic reformers and Islamists, who would later organize under the banner of the United Tajik Opposition. The government was supported by Russian border guards.

Religion in Tajikistan

Islam, the predominant religion throughout Central Asia, was brought to the region by the Arabs in the 7th century. Since that time, Islam has become an integral part of Tajik culture. Tajikistan is a secular country, but the post-Soviet era has seen a marked increase in religious practice in the country. The majority of Tajikistan's Muslims adhere to the Sunni branch of Islam, and a smaller group belongs to the Shia branch of Islam. The Russian Orthodox faith is the most widely practiced of other religions, although the Russian community shrank significantly in the early 1990s. Some other small Christian groups now enjoy relative freedom of worship. Tajikistan also has a small Jewish community.

Freedom of religion in Tajikistan is provided for in Tajikistan's constitution. The country is secular by law. However, respect for religious freedom has eroded during recent years, creating some areas of concern.

Outline of Tajikistan Overview of and topical guide to Tajikistan

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Tajikistan:

Tajikistan–Uzbekistan relations Bilateral relations

Uzbekistan–Tajikistan relations refers to the relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Tajikistan. Analysts said that the two countries are "engaged in an undeclared cold war" and have the worst bilateral relations in Central Asia. However, with the election of Shavkat Mirziyoyev as President of Uzbekistan Uzbek-Tajik relations, as well as relations between Uzbekistan and its neighbors in Central Asia, reached a new era of potential. Practical implementation of this potential is yet to be seen and by 2020 the Central Asian region remains one of the least integrated regions in the world.

Constitution of Tajikistan

The Constitution of Tajikistan was adopted on 6 November 1994 and amended three times, in September 26, 1999, June 22, 2003 and May,2016.

Tajikistan–Turkey relations Bilateral relations

Tajik–Turkish relations are friendly and cooperative and underlined with a legal basis of more than 30 treaties and protocols which have been signed between two countries since 1991.

2013 Tajik presidential election

Presidential elections were held in Tajikistan on 6 November 2013. Incumbent President Emomali Rahmon was re-elected with a reported 84% of the vote on a turnout of 86.6%.

Group 24 Political party in Tajikistan

Group 24 is a political opposition movement in Tajikistan. It opposes the rule of president Emomali Rahmon. They accuse him of corruption and nepotism.

Zayd Sherovich Saidov is a Tajik businessman and politician. Saidov was engaged in business through the 1990s, but in 1999 went into government service, working as Tajikistan's Industry Minister from 2002-2007. In 2013, he was arrested and sentenced to 26 years in prison for his alleged engagement in financial fraud, polygamy, and sexual relations with a minor. He is currently serving 29 years in prison after additional charges of forgery, embezzlement, abuse of office, and tax evasion were added.

2016 Tajik constitutional referendum

A constitutional referendum was held in Tajikistan on 22 May 2016. A total of 41 constitutional amendments were proposed. The changes included:

Rustam Emomalievich Rahmonov is the current Chairman of the National Assembly of Tajikistan, Mayor of Dushanbe and the eldest son of Emomali Rahmon, the long-standing authoritarian leader of Tajikistan. Emomali's father appointed Emomali as the mayor of Dushanbe when he was 29 years old.

Ozoda Rahmon

Ozoda Emomalievna Rahmonova is a Tajikistani politician who is the daughter of Emomali Rahmon, the long-standing authoritarian leader of Tajikistan.

Corruption in Tajikistan Institutional corruption in the country

Corruption in Tajikistan is a widespread phenomenon that is found in all spheres of Tajik society. The situation is essentially similar to that in the other former Soviet republics of Central Asia. Reliable specifics about corruption can be difficult to come by, however, as can hard information about the effectiveness of supposed anti-corruption initiatives.

2020 Tajik presidential election

Presidential elections were held in Tajikistan on 11 October 2020. The result was a fifth straight victory for authoritarian long-term incumbent Emomali Rahmon of the People's Democratic Party, who was re-elected with over 90% of the vote. Rahmon was inaugurated for his fifth term on 30 October. He was sworn in at a ceremony at the Kokhi Somon Palace in Dushanbe.

COVID-19 pandemic in Tajikistan Ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Tajikistan

The COVID-19 pandemic in Tajikistan is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have spread to Tajikistan when its index cases, in Dushanbe and Khujand, were confirmed on 30 April 2020.

References

  1. ↑ "Tajikistan". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  2. ↑ "Human Rights Reports: Tajikistan". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  3. ↑ "Rise in Human Trafficking in Tajikistan". Institute for War and Peace Reporting. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
  4. ↑ "YouTube Partially Blocked In Tajikistan". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  5. ↑ Greenberg, Ilan (2007-03-28). "Tajik President Outlaws Slavic Endings on Names". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  6. ↑ "Jehovah's Witnesses: Office of Public Information Authorized Site". Archived from the original on 2007-06-12. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
  7. 1 2 "Some Young Soldiers in Tajikistan's Army Are Being Hazed to Death · Global Voices". Global Voices. 2014-06-10. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  8. ↑ "Дело о «поперхнувшемся хлебом» солдате направлено в суд". Радио Озоди (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  9. ↑ "YouTube video". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-11-24.[ dead YouTube link ]
  10. 1 2 Inakhiya, Govind Kumar (2015). "Human Rights At Jeopardy THE CENTRAL ASIAN CONTEXT" (PDF). The Journal of Central Asian Studies. XXII: 99–108.
  11. 1 2 "Tajikistan Events of 2016".
  12. ↑ "Tajikistan Human Rights". Amnesty International. 2013.
  13. ↑ Freedom House (2022). "Country and Territory Ratings and Statuses, FIW 1973-2022" (XLS). Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  14. ↑ Najibullah, Farangis (4 April 2007). "Central Asia: Name Debate Reflects Region's Mixed History". Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 9 March 2022.

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