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Cultural Heritage

Simurgh Self-Help: Slavs and Tatars’ New Show Rethinks National Symbolism

“It’s interesting that in Western symbolism you never see a delicate female eagle,” notes Payam, one-half of the artist collective Slavs and Tatars, from his studio in Berlin. “But the central-Asian Simurgh is gender-fluid, metaphysical. It doesn’t belong to this world.” The mythological figure of the Simurgh is the focus of Slavs and Tatars’ latest show at the gallery The Third Line in Dubai called “Simurgh Self-Help”. The show speaks of the importance of reclaiming and reframing cultural memories in a fractured world, and an invitation to think beyond the artificial, top-down confines of nationalism, to find cultural unity. [caption id="attachment_28951" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Slavs and Tatars Samovar Vacuum-formed plastic, acrylic paint; Image: Courtesy of the artist and The Third Line, Dubai[/caption] The exhibition extends a lineage of conceptual inquiry, drawing upon the mystical bird Simurgh, ever-present in Persian and Central Asia mythologies, as a counterpoint to the ubiquitous, secularized eagle of Western heraldry. A constant companion of Zeus in Greek mythology, the eagle is a recurring symbol in the Western world: “Everywhere you look in the West, you find eagles,” notes Payam. “It’s on the German flag, on American football teams, on the Albanian flag. It’s a tired, secularized symbol, heavy with the weight of imperial history.” In contrast, the Simurgh exists on a different plane, one that rejects hierarchies in favor of collective transformation. [caption id="attachment_28952" align="aligncenter" width="1874"] Slavs and Tatars Samovar Vacuum-formed plastic, acrylic paint; Image: Courtesy of the artist and The Third Line, Dubai[/caption] Today the Simurgh is going through a similar secularization to the Western eagle, with Turkish SIM cards and Azerbaijani soccer teams called Simurgh. "It's easy, in some sense, for as an artist to take something which is very high and important, let's say spiritual or religious, and make it make fun of it, bring it down in a caricatural way,” says Payam. “What's very hard as an artist is to take something which has been debased and make it high again." In the show, we see works that go in either direction, presenting an alternative mythology, one that shows that cultures are fluid and interconnected. “Simurgh Self-Help,” which had previous iterations in Warsaw, Athens, and Baden-Baden, was originally started two years ago as a conceptual echo of Marcel Broodthaers’ Musée d'Art Moderne: Département des Aigles. This was a conceptual museum/artistic project created by the Belgian artist in 1968, full of artworks referenced by Slavs and Tatars in their show. [caption id="attachment_28953" align="aligncenter" width="2500"] Slavs and Tatars, Soft Power_2023, Woolen Yarn; Image: Courtesy of the artist and The Third Line, Dubai[/caption] The Simurgh, Payam explains, traverses territories from Kazakhstan to Ukraine, yet remains absent in Poland. “It’s a question of defining a region not through imposed political structures but through the myths that bubble from the ground up,” remarks Payam. The Simurgh becomes a cipher for alternative cartographies, a challenge to the top-down imposition of nationhood. If the eagle stands for conquest and dominance, the Simurgh stands for the dissolution of categories and unity...

Society

Central Asia’s Growing Domestic Drug Problem

It’s in the headlines every few days now in Central Asian countries. February 1 – Uzbekistan’s law enforcement agencies report raiding a laboratory producing synthetic drugs, and seizing narcotics worth more than $800,000. February 3 – Uzbek law enforcement announces that their latest counter-narcotics operation has resulted in the seizure of 111 kilograms of illegal drugs. February 10 – police in Kyrgyzstan’s northern Chuy region seize 1.5 kilograms of hashish and 1 kilogram of marijuana. February 11 – Kazakhstan’s Committee for National Security (KNB) announces it had uncovered a laboratory in Almaty region that was producing synthetic drugs. More than 15 kilograms of these synthetic drugs were seized and 200 liters of precursor materials. In the first decade after the five countries of Central Asia became independent in 1991, many of the reports from foreign media were about Central Asia being a major transit route for narcotics coming out of Afghanistan that were for buyers in Russia and Europe. Thirty years later, drugs are still coming into Central Asia from Afghanistan, but it is no longer just opium and heroin. And now it seems a good portion of these illicit narcotics are being consumed in Central Asia. Made in Central Asia Drug-producing laboratories are multiplying, and while there are no precise figures for the number of addicts, it is clear an increasing number of young people in Central Asia are using drugs. Ashita Mittal, the regional representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Central Asia, said in January 2025 that during the “last several years in just Kazakhstan, law enforcement agencies have uncovered and destroyed 87 laboratories producing synthetic drugs, and in Kyrgyzstan about 11-12.” Law enforcement agencies in Kazakhstan said earlier in January that they had destroyed 63 laboratories producing illegal narcotics just in 2024. Tajikistan’s Agency for Narcotics Control said at the end of its Kuknor-2024 counter-narcotics campaign in December 2024 that it had confiscated more than 1 ton of synthetic drugs. The synthetic drugs most often mentioned in these seizures are mephedrone, a type of amphetamine and stimulant that causes euphoria, and a-PvP, another stimulant. However, there are many types of synthetic drugs now available in Central Asia. Batum Estebesova, director of Kyrgyzstan’s Sotsium drug rehabilitation center, said the variety of synthetic drugs is increasing quickly. “We can’t keep up with all the new drugs to add them to the list of prohibited substances,” Estebesova said. UN Office on Drugs and Crime representative Mittal said part of the problem comes from Afghanistan. Mittal noted in 2023, there was a 95 percent reduction in heroin production in Afghanistan, but at the same time there was an “exponential growth” in the production of methamphetamines crossing into the bordering Central Asian countries – Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. In May 2023, Uzbek border guards noticed some strange marking on several boxes of pomegranate juice coming from Afghanistan. Testing showed bottles of juice in those boxes contained methamphetamine. Apparently, the buyers intended to evaporate the liquid and then collect...

Sanctions

U.S. Urges Tajikistan to Enforce Sanctions on Russian Firms Amid Ongoing Compliance Review

The Tajik government has received an official letter from the United States requesting compliance with sanctions against several Russian companies operating in the country, Chairman of the State Committee on Investment and State Property Management Sulton Rakhimzoda announced at a press conference on February 11. According to Rakhimzoda, the U.S. has requested clarification on what measures Tajik authorities plan to take regarding the sanctions. “This is a sensitive topic, and it is currently under consideration,” he stated. He added that sanctions against Russian companies are not a new phenomenon and that businesses affected by the restrictions should already have mechanisms in place to adapt. “It is clear that sanctions impact companies to varying degrees. However, as far as I know, they have already developed strategies to operate under these conditions. These issues are also being discussed in negotiations with the government,” Rakhimzoda said. He noted that the Investment Committee does not oversee this sector directly, but that the relevant government agencies are handling the matter. Following the start of the conflict in Ukraine, the U.S. and the European Union imposed strict sanctions on several Russian enterprises. In January 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned Gazpromneft Tajikistan along with its parent company, Gazprom Neft. Tajik authorities have stated that the sanctions will not affect oil product imports into the country. However, experts warn that the restrictions could eventually impact other companies cooperating with Gazpromneft Tajikistan.

Healthcare

Tajikistan’s Health Ministry Seeks Alternative to USAID Assistance in Combating Deadly Diseases

Tajikistan’s Ministry of Health is exploring alternative funding sources following the suspension of USAID programs. The recent freeze on U.S. foreign aid has affected several health initiatives in Tajikistan, particularly those focused on combating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. At a press conference, Health Minister Jamoliddin Abdullozoda stated that authorities are seeking new mechanisms to sustain these programs. “USAID has played a key role in the fight against HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, as well as in maternal and child health. Until the agency’s future involvement is clarified, we intend to mobilize other resources,” Abdullozoda said. One of Tajikistan’s main partners remains the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, which continues to finance drug supplies and testing. The Health Ministry confirmed its commitment to strengthening cooperation with the Fund and engaging additional international organizations. Tajikistan's Republican Center for AIDS Prevention and Control clarified that USAID did not provide antiretroviral therapy (ARV) drugs or testing kits. Instead, the agency’s primary role was offering psychological and social support to HIV patients, mainly through nongovernmental organizations. According to official data, 12,480 people living with HIV are currently registered in Tajikistan’s healthcare system, including 1,022 children. In 2023, 293 new cases were detected among labor migrants. However, the overall number of registered HIV cases declined by 98 compared to previous years. Regarding tuberculosis, Tajikistan recorded 4,545 new cases in 2023 and 4,537 in 2024. The health minister attributed the slight increase to improved diagnostic capabilities. The country now has 77 tuberculosis diagnostic machines, 84 BAG laboratories, and 40 specialized devices for detecting infections.

Media Freedom

Sentencing of Journalist Rukhshona Khakimova Draws Outrage in Tajikistan

Tajikistan’s Supreme Court has convicted journalist Rukhshona Khakimova of high treason and sentenced her to eight years in prison. Her lawyer criticized the ruling, noting that the court failed to take into account her status as a mother. Meanwhile, Tajikistan’s journalistic community has condemned the sentence as "excessively harsh" and "shocking." Khakimova’s relatives plan to appeal the verdict. The court’s decision was announced on February 5 during a closed hearing held at the Dushanbe detention center, alongside other verdicts in the “coup d’état case." Khakimova is the niece of Shokirjon Khakimov, the first deputy chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Khakimova was first charged seven months ago but was allowed to remain free due to her responsibilities as a mother of two young children. However, her documents were confiscated, preventing her from leaving her place of residence. Following the verdict, she was immediately taken into custody inside the courtroom. Tajikistan’s journalistic community has raised serious concerns about the fairness of the trial, particularly due to the lack of transparency surrounding the case. The authorities have refused to comment, citing state secrecy. Khakimova’s prosecution is believed to be linked to her investigation into China’s influence in Tajikistan. As part of her research, she reportedly interviewed several defendants in the coup case, including former MP Saidjafar Usmonzoda, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison. The prosecution had initially sought a 17-year prison sentence for Khakimova, but the court reduced it to eight years under Article 63 of the Criminal Code. However, lawyer Turob Dilayev noted that the court failed to consider the legal provision allowing for sentence postponement for women with young children. As a result, Khakimova’s two children — a two-year-old and a nine-month-old — have been placed in the care of relatives. The court also seized the family's savings, originally intended for buying a home. The National Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan has strongly criticized the ruling. Its head, Nuriddin Karshiboyev, stated that journalists had hoped for justice but were left “shocked” by the harsh sentence. Khurshed Atovullo, director of the Centre for Journalist Studies of Tajikistan, called the ruling excessive, arguing that conducting a survey should not be grounds for criminal prosecution. Gulnora Amirshoeva, head of the Coalition of Women Journalists of Tajikistan, expressed outrage, particularly over Khakimova’s separation from her children. She voiced hope that the case would be reviewed and that the execution of the sentence would be suspended. International human rights organizations have also condemned the verdict. Siynat Sultonalieva, Human Rights Watch’s representative for Central Asia, stated that Tajikistan continues to persecute journalists and human rights defenders. She noted that Khakimova is the ninth journalist to receive a long-term sentence and called on authorities to end the pressure on the press.

Justice

Tajikistan Sentences Defendants in Alleged Coup Attempt Case

Tajikistan's Supreme Court handed down sentences on February 5 in a high-profile coup attempt case, convicting former high-ranking officials, politicians, and journalists. Among those sentenced are a former foreign minister, a former chairman of the Supreme Soviet, and retired security officials. Sentences and Key Defendants Former Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi received a 27-year prison sentence. Shokirjon Khakimov, the first deputy leader of the Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan, and Ahmadshokh Komilzoda, former deputy chairman of the Democratic Party, were each sentenced to 18 years. Journalist Rukhshona Khakimova, the niece of Khakimov, was sentenced to eight years on charges of treason. However, details of the charges against her remain undisclosed, as the case is classified. The trial was conducted behind closed doors at a pre-trial detention center. Lack of Transparency and Denials by Defendants Authorities have not disclosed details of the trial, citing national security concerns. Relatives of the defendants were barred from attending, and defense lawyers have refrained from commenting due to non-disclosure agreements. According to sources, many of the convicted individuals denied the charges during their final statements. In particular, Akbarsho Iskandarov and Ahmadshokh Komilzoda argued that the verdicts were issued without sufficient evidence. The trial began on November 14, 2024, following a wave of arrests that started in mid-2024 with the detention of Saidjafar Usmonzod. The defendants have consistently pleaded not guilty, and in December 2024, they formally rejected charges of treason and attempted seizure of power.