Tajikistan - The Times Of Central Asia

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Food Crisis

Global Report on Food Crises 2025: Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan Identified as at Risk

For the first time, the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises, produced by the Food Security Information Network, has officially identified parts of Central Asia, particularly Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, as areas of concern for food security. Central Asia in the Spotlight The Food Security Information Network (FSIN) is a technical global platform for the exchange of expertise, knowledge and best practises on food security and nutrition analysis. Published on May 16, its food crises report for this year outlines a convergence of economic instability, persistently high food prices, and climate-related stressors that threaten to deepen food insecurity in the region. “In Central Asia, especially in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, the situation is worrying due to economic difficulties, high food prices, and vulnerability to climate shocks,” the report states. The region’s inclusion in the list of at-risk areas marks a significant development, highlighting the urgency for both international attention and national-level action. External Dependence and Structural Fragility The report emphasizes the region’s heavy reliance on remittances and its ongoing struggle with inflation. Climate-related disruptions, such as droughts and temperature extremes, are already impacting agricultural yields, placing additional strain on the food system. Tajikistan is particularly vulnerable due to a combination of weak infrastructure, a small domestic market, and high poverty levels. While it has not yet been categorized among the 59 countries facing acute food crises, its identification as a potential hotspot signals a growing risk. This is not the first warning. In August 2024, the Eurasian Development Bank projected that Tajikistan’s food security could drop from 56.7% to 53% by 2035. The same forecast anticipated a 15% reduction in grain yields and a 9-11% decline in fruit and vegetable production, largely due to climate change. These projections align with observable trends: rising prices for basic goods, falling agricultural output, water shortages, and escalating logistical challenges driven by global conflicts. Acknowledging the Crisis President Emomali Rahmon addressed the issue directly during a May 17 seminar-meeting in the Danghara district, calling food security a national strategic priority. He warned that 2025 could be the hottest year on record and noted the compounding impact of global warming, inflation, and trade disruptions. Among the remedies proposed were the more efficient use of land, adoption of energy-saving technologies and agricultural innovations, investment in scientific research, and expanded replanting initiatives. The president also highlighted systemic issues in the sector, including declining meat and egg production, non-operational irrigation systems, and inadequate planting of vegetables and potatoes. The Road Ahead Tajikistan’s inclusion in the Global Report on Food Crises 2025 underscores the need for swift, coordinated efforts to strengthen food system resilience. Key priorities include addressing structural deficiencies in agriculture, adapting to climate change, and fostering regional and international cooperation.

Crocus City Hall Terrorist Attack

Detention Extended for Four Suspects in Moscow Crocus City Hall Attack

The Moscow City Court has extended the detention of four Tajik citizens accused of participating in the deadly terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall in March. According to the court’s press service, the suspects will remain in custody for an additional three months and 28 days. The individuals, Fariduni Shamsiddin, Saidkrom Rachabalizoda, Dalerjon Mirzoev, and Muhammadsobir Faizov, have been named by Russian authorities as the primary perpetrators. They reportedly opened fire and set the concert venue ablaze on the evening of March 22. All four have been officially added to Russia’s federal list of terrorists and extremists. The attack, which occurred during a live performance at Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, just outside Moscow, left 146 people dead. The gunmen used automatic weapons and later ignited a fire in the main concert area, making it one of the deadliest terrorist incidents in Russia in recent history. Russia’s Investigative Committee has charged 27 individuals in total in connection with the attack. Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin confirmed that all have been formally charged and that the investigation is ongoing. So far, 12 people have been arrested, with the principal suspects all identified as Tajik nationals. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Turkish prosecutors are also pursuing charges related to the attack. The Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office is seeking prison terms ranging from 7.5 to 15 years for five Central Asian nationals believed to be connected to the same network. Investigations in both Russia and Turkey are continuing as authorities work to uncover the full scope of the group responsible for the massacre.

Italy

Italy Raises the Bar in Central Asia: What to Expect from Giorgia Meloni’s Visit

In recent years, Italy has emerged as one of the European countries most keen to maintain close relations with the countries of Central Asia. In mid-April, confirmation arrived that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni would be travelling to the region this spring. The purpose of the trip is to visit Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and attend a summit in Astana with the presidents of the five countries. Meloni's visit is scheduled for the end of May, although the exact dates are not yet known. Italy was the first European country to involve the Central Asia region in a "1+5" summit. The first meeting was held in Rome in December 2019, and involved the then Italian Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Maio, and all Central Asian Foreign Ministers. This meeting took place a few months after Italy, the first and only EU country to take this step, signed a memorandum of understanding with China on the Belt & Road Initiative (in 2023, Rome decided to withdraw from the project). Central Asia is one of the regions at the heart of the original BRI project: the launch was announced in Kazakhstan in 2013. The most recent meeting at foreign minister level took place in May 2024, again in Rome, and was attended by the current Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani. But now Italy has decided to raise the bar and directly involve Meloni and her Central Asian counterparts. The multilateral forum is complemented by frequent visits to Italy by leaders from the region: Uzbekistan's Mirziyoyev in June 2023, Kazakhstan's Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in January 2024 and Tajikistan's Emomali Rahmon at the end of April 2024. For Italy, President Sergio Mattarella visited Uzbekistan in November 2023 and Kazakhstan in March 2025. Italy is one of the main economic partners in the region, and especially in Kazakhstan; the country ranks third (behind only China and Russia) in terms of trade with Astana. Trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Italy rose 25% in 2024 and reached almost $20 billion. The relationship is particularly strong in the energy sector, with over $18 billion accounted for exports of Kazakh oil and petroleum products in 2024. The Italian national oil and natural gas company Eni has been present in Kazakhstan since 1992, where it is a co-operator of the Karachaganak oil field and participates in the North Caspian Sea PSA consortium responsible for operations at the Kashagan oil field. Other significant sectors of trade between Italy and Kazakhstan are those of agricultural machinery and agricultural production. One area that could be subject to greater cooperation is defense, as demonstrated by the visit to Italy by Kazakhstan's Minister of Defense, Ruslan Zhakssylykov, in March this year. The potential is truly remarkable: during Mattarella's aforementioned flash visit to the country this March, with a meeting with Tokayev held directly at Astana airport, the Italian president emphasized the potential for further deepening the strategic partnership between Rome and Astana, which has been in place since 2011. Speaking of official documents, in June 2023, Italy and Uzbekistan...

Social Media

Tajikistan Decriminalizes Likes and Other Reactions to Provocative Social Media Posts

Tajik citizens need no longer fear that they will be imprisoned for clicking “like” on social media posts that the Tajik authorities do not like. Among several laws that Tajik President Emomali Rahmon signed on May 14 was one that decriminalized liking posts on social networks that originate from individuals or organizations the Tajik government considers extremist. Crackdown on Social Media In 2018, President Rahmon signed amendments to Article 179 of the Criminal Code, making it a crime to repost, comment favorably on, or like posts that, in the opinion of Tajik authorities, are public calls to commit or justify acts of violence and terrorism. According to that law, those found guilty of liking such posts face up to 15 years in prison. Since the law came into effect, 1,507 Tajik citizens have been imprisoned. The Tajik authorities often have a broad interpretation of what constitutes public calls to commit or justify serious crimes or acts of terrorism, but it usually boils down to comments that are critical of the Tajik government. Weeks after the law was passed, Alijon Sharipov, a resident of the Vakhsh district in Tajikistan’s southern Khatlon Region, was sentenced to 9.5 years in prison for reposting a video of an interview with the leader of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan, Muhiddin Kabiri. In July 2019, Ibrohim Kosimov from the western Tajik city of Panjakent received the same prison sentence for “pushing ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ on the posts belong[ing] to opposition figures.” An activist of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan, Rustam Mamajonov, was sentenced to seven years in prison in June 2021 for reposting a video of Sharofiddin Gadoyev, a leader of the banned organization, Group 24. Mamajonov, who was 59 years old at the time, said he did not know how the video appeared on his Facebook page and the repost was a mistake caused by his poor knowledge of how to use the platform. Tajik political activist Abdullo Shamsiddin was deported from Germany back to Tajikistan in January 2023 and was convicted weeks later in March of sedition and sentenced to seven years in prison. Shamsiddin’s trial was held behind closed doors and it was difficult to obtain details about the case, but apparently, he was convicted for clicking “like” on a social network post, though there is no information about what was in the post. Shamsiddinov’s case shows the social network use of Tajik citizens who are outside Tajikistan is also being monitored by Tajik authorities. A Strange Change of Heart The reasons for the decision to decriminalize “posting a like or other sign on social networks,” as it officially reads in the law Rahmon signed, is unclear. Certainly, rights groups have called on the Tajik authorities to overturn the decision to criminalize likes, comments, or reposts of what to the Tajik government are undesirable posts on social networks. However, for years Tajikistan’s government has ignored appeals from rights organizations, the United Nations, and individual governments over the Tajik authorities’ rights abuses....

Rukhshona Khakimova

UN Official Urges Tajikistan to Release, Retry Woman Convicted of Treason

A United Nations human rights expert has joined in calls for the release and retrial of a 31-year-old mother in Tajikistan who was convicted of treason and sentenced to eight years in prison after her research on Chinese aid to the Central Asian country allegedly aroused the suspicion of authorities. A U.N. statement described Rukhshona Khakimova as a “journalist and woman human rights defender” and said it appeared that she had not received a fair trial and may have been targeted for “legitimate human rights journalism” rather than any wrongdoing. “The case was part of a broader criminal investigation involving former senior officials and politicians allegedly accused of extremism, espionage, and an attempted coup,” said the U.N. announcement, which was released on Wednesday. “Her charges allegedly stemmed from interviews she conducted for a research project on international aid from China to Tajikistan, where she reportedly spoke with two defendants, asking general questions not related to classified information.” In recent years, China has developed an increasingly robust role as an investor and security partner for Tajikistan, which has a long border with Afghanistan and concerns about militant infiltration. Mary Lawlor, the U.N.’s special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, said it was “heartbreaking” that Khakimova had been separated from her two young children because the court sent her to jail. Lawlor said Khakimova had a right to a fair and transparent trial and that she was in contact with the Tajik government about the matter. Tajikistan’s Supreme Court convicted and sentenced Khakimova on Feb. 5. The verdict was upheld on April 2. International human rights and media groups have also called for Khakimova’s release. So far, Tajik authorities have not responded publicly to the appeals, which reflect concern about a deteriorating human rights situation in Tajikistan. However, President Emomali Rahmon removed one restriction on Wednesday, signing a law that “abolishes criminal liability for posting likes or other marks on social networks,” according to the president’s office. The restriction had previously been used to prosecute people accused of endorsing extremist posts on social media, though critics alleged the ban was a way to muzzle opposition to the government.

Social Media

Tajikistan Lifts Criminal Penalties for Social Media Likes on ‘Extremist’ Content

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has signed a new law eliminating criminal penalties for liking or reacting to social media posts classified as extremist or threatening to public order. The president’s press office announced the amendment, which revokes part of a 2018 change to the Criminal Code. Previously, individuals could face prison sentences of 10 to 15 years for openly promoting or supporting purported terrorism or terrorist acts online. Under this legislation, more than 1,500 people have been convicted in Tajikistan, many for merely liking or commenting on posts the government deemed extremist. A significant number of those affected were believed to be affiliated with opposition groups. It remains unclear whether the new law will result in the release of individuals already imprisoned under the previous statute. However, lawyer Dilshod Jurayev told Radio Ozodi that those convicted may now have grounds to appeal their sentences. Regional Context In neighboring Uzbekistan, social media users still face the possibility of legal consequences for engaging with prohibited content if investigators or courts determine that liking such material constitutes distribution. Uzbekistan’s Agency for Information and Mass Communications (AIMC) has cautioned the public against spreading false information. The agency emphasized that engaging with posts containing fake news, disinformation, or extremist content could result in administrative or criminal penalties. “There is administrative and criminal liability for spreading false or harmful information,” the AIMC stated. “Before you share anything, make sure it comes from a trusted, official source.”