Tajikistan Justice - The Times Of Central Asia

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Tajik Migrants

Tajik Migrant in Russia Receives Nearly $15,000 in Unpaid Wages After Government Intervention

A Tajik labor migrant working in Russia has received nearly $15,000 in unpaid wages following an intervention by Tajikistan’s Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment, the ministry said. According to the ministry’s representative office in Russia, the worker approached officials in May, alleging that a private Russian company had failed to pay his salary. The office then contacted the employer, which later settled the debt in full. The worker received 1.065 million rubles, or about $14,800, according to the ministry. The company was not named. The ministry urged Tajik citizens seeking employment in Russia to sign formal labor contracts and retain copies of the documents, saying the absence of written agreements often complicates efforts to recover unpaid wages and protect workers’ rights. Officials said migrants can also seek assistance from the ministry’s representative office in Russia on employment issues and labor disputes. Labor migration remains one of Tajikistan’s main sources of household income, with remittances sent home by migrants, most of them employed in Russia, supporting many families across the country. World Bank estimates show that remittance inflows reached 49% of Tajikistan’s GDP in 2024, up from 39% a year earlier. Tajik labor officials have said almost all citizens who leave Tajikistan for work go to Russia, making wage disputes there a direct concern for household income at home. The ministry said its representative office has previously helped Tajik migrants recover more than $3.4 million in unpaid wages from employers in Russia. In cases where employment relationships are not formally documented, the authorities often have to pursue claims through the courts, although most such cases are resolved in favor of workers, according to the ministry.

Regional Security

Tokayev Urges Central Asia and China to Strengthen Law Enforcement Cooperation

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev hosted the interior and public security ministers of the “Central Asia-China” format in Astana during the second meeting of regional law enforcement agencies. The meeting was attended by Chinese Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong, Kyrgyz Interior Minister Ulan Niyazbekov, Tajik Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda, Turkmen Interior Minister Muhammet Hydyrov, and Uzbek Interior Minister Aziz Tashpulatov. Participants discussed transnational crime, drug trafficking, cybercrime, and extremism. Tokayev said strengthening cooperation between the law enforcement agencies of Central Asia and China is essential for maintaining regional stability. “Transnational organized crime is becoming increasingly flexible and interconnected. Cybercrime has evolved into a highly profitable global industry,” the president said. According to Tokayev, criminal groups are increasingly using digital platforms to coordinate activities, launder money, and carry out attacks that transcend national borders. He emphasized that Central Asia’s position at the crossroads of major transport and trade routes leaves the region particularly vulnerable to transnational criminal networks. Tokayev said Kazakhstan considers the rule of law a strategic state priority and is continuing the implementation of its “Law and Order” governance concept. He called for stronger efforts to block the financial flows of criminal organizations, suppress the spread of extremist ideology, and detect preparations for terrorist attacks. The president devoted particular attention to cybersecurity threats. “Artificial intelligence in the hands of destructive actors is becoming an information weapon,” Tokayev said. According to him, illegal content and disinformation are spreading online on an industrial scale, while existing mechanisms of international cooperation require substantial modernization. Tokayev also linked security concerns to the expansion of regional transport infrastructure, including the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. “The growth of cargo traffic is associated with certain risks, including transnational crime and the trafficking of contraband, drugs, and weapons,” he said. In Tokayev’s view, the “Central Asia-China” format should evolve into a platform for developing coordinated and practical security measures across the region. Participants in the meeting reaffirmed their intention to expand operational information-sharing, strengthen professional cooperation, and introduce modern technologies into law enforcement activities.

Pension

Tajikistan Pension Payments Suspended For 14,000 People Over Biometric Identification Rules

Authorities in Tajikistan have temporarily suspended pension payments to more than 14,000 people who failed to complete mandatory biometric identification procedures, according to the country’s Agency for Social Insurance and Pensions. The agency said that 14,022 pensioners did not complete the required re-registration process, resulting in the temporary suspension of transfers to their bank cards. Officials did not specify exactly when the payments were blocked. The pension re-registration campaign began in Tajikistan in the second half of November 2025 and was scheduled to conclude by the end of March this year. To complete the process, pensioners are required to appear in person at agency offices with identification documents. Verification is conducted through a Face ID system using mobile phones, while personal data and photographs are stored in a digital database. A source within the pension agency said the suspended payments affect both pensioners residing in Tajikistan and citizens currently living abroad. Authorities say pension payments will be fully restored once individuals complete the identification process, with all unpaid amounts transferred retroactively from the date payments were suspended. However, the new system has already raised concerns among lawyers and some pensioners, particularly citizens residing outside Tajikistan. In its official response, the agency stressed that personal presence remains mandatory and that representatives acting under a power of attorney cannot complete biometric registration on behalf of pension recipients. Tajik lawyer Khurshed Kurbonshoev argued that the right to social security is guaranteed under the country’s constitution and that existing legislation permits pension payments to be received through authorized representatives. According to Kurbonshoev, the state has the right to introduce additional control mechanisms, including biometric identification, but such measures should not violate constitutional rights. “If citizens living abroad are not provided with a real opportunity to complete re-registration through remote submission of biometric information via consulates and representative offices or through other alternative methods, then suspension of payments, regardless of the existence of a power of attorney, could constitute a disproportionate restriction,” the lawyer said. Kurbonshoev added that in the absence of alternative identification mechanisms, affected citizens may attempt to challenge the suspension of payments through the courts or other state bodies. The re-registration campaign is being conducted under a government protocol adopted on October 31, 2025. According to the pension agency, as of May 1, 2026, a total of 830,907 people had completed the identification process. The average pension in Tajikistan currently stands at around $56 per month. The average labor pension amounts to approximately $71 while social pensions average around $39.

Student Driving Ban

Dushanbe Students Face Expulsion for Driving Private Vehicles to University

Seven students in Dushanbe face possible expulsion for up to three years after police conducted raids targeting university students who arrived for classes in private vehicles. The inspections were announced by the city’s Interior Ministry department, which said officers from the department for the prevention of youth-related offenses conducted raids near universities in the capital and recorded seven cases of students arriving on campus in their own cars. “Under current legal regulations and an order issued by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan, students are strictly prohibited from arriving at classes in private vehicles,” the statement said. “However, some students deliberately ignore this requirement in an attempt at self-display.” Police said the students attend institutions including Tajik National University, Russian-Tajik Slavonic University, the Academy of Public Administration under the President of Tajikistan, and the Tajik State University of Commerce. Authorities stated that case materials have already been forwarded to the Education Ministry and university administrations for further action. Under existing regulations, students who arrive at classes in private vehicles can be expelled for up to three years without the right to reinstatement. Similar incidents have occurred previously in Dushanbe. Earlier, Tajik National University student Fazliddin Bakhriev faced possible expulsion after arriving at the university in a Range Rover. No final decision in that case was publicly announced. The ban on students and schoolchildren using private cars has been in force in Tajikistan since 2017, and police regularly conduct raids near educational institutions to identify violations. Authorities justify the restrictions partly on safety grounds, arguing that young drivers are disproportionately involved in traffic accidents. Officials have also framed the issue as a social concern, saying that luxury vehicles parked outside schools and universities are viewed as displays of wealth and status that contradict principles of equality among students.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying in Central Asia: What Legal Protections Are There?

Cyberbullying has long ceased to be merely an argument on the internet. Insults, harassment in chats, the publication of humiliating photos and videos, coordinated mockery, threats, and the spread of false information can cause harm comparable to offline violence. In Central Asia, the problem is becoming increasingly visible, but legal responses still vary significantly. As of 2026, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have incorporated bullying and cyberbullying into legislation more directly, while Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan continue to address such cases mainly through general provisions on insult, defamation, threats, child protection, and internet regulation. Kazakhstan has taken the most explicit legislative approach to cyberbullying. The law introduced an official definition: cyberbullying is understood as systematic actions, that is, actions committed two or more times of a humiliating nature against a child, including persecution and intimidation using internet resources. The law also grants a citizen or the legal representative of a child the right to submit a complaint to the authorized body regarding instances of cyberbullying against a child, specifying the relevant internet resource. At the same time, laws on children’s rights and education have formally incorporated the concept of child bullying, including acts committed through media and telecommunications networks. A further step was taken in 2024, when Article 127-2 (“Bullying of a Minor”) was added to Kazakhstan’s Code of Administrative Offenses. It provides for a warning or a fine, with higher penalties for repeated violations within a year. In December 2024, Kazinform reported that Kazakhstan became the first country in Central Asia to establish specific liability for the bullying and cyberbullying of children in a separate legal provision, which entered into force on June 16, 2024. It is also significant that the provision is now being applied in practice. According to data released in February 2026 by the Deputy Chair of the Committee for the Protection of Children’s Rights, around 200 cases of bullying and cyberbullying against children had been recorded in 2025. This figure is important not only in itself; it indicates that the state has begun systematically recording such incidents and that victims and their families are more likely to seek protection. The main strength of the Kazakh model is its clarity. The law explicitly defines the problem, outlines complaint procedures, and establishes specific liability. Its main limitation lies in implementation: as with domestic violence legislation, effectiveness depends on how prepared schools, parents, law enforcement, and online platforms are to apply it in practice. Uzbekistan: Cyberbullying Within the Child Protection Framework In Uzbekistan, there is no separate legal provision titled “cyberbullying,” but the country has taken a significant step in terms of child protection. The Law “On the Protection of Children from All Forms of Violence,” adopted on November 14, 2024, and in force since May 15, 2025, explicitly recognizes bullying as a form of violence against children. The law defines such violence as actions, including those carried out through telecommunications networks and the internet, that cause or may cause physical or psychological harm. The definition of bullying explicitly includes...

Tajik-Afghan Border

Tajikistan Says Two Afghan Smugglers Killed After Crossing Border

Security forces in Tajikistan killed two alleged drug smugglers from Afghanistan who crossed the border overnight, the Tajik government said on Friday. The incursion happened around 1 a.m. in the Farkhor district of the Khatlon region, and border guards and other national security troops disrupted the attempt to smuggle 25 kilograms of hashish, Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security said. “The smugglers disobeyed the border patrol's lawful demands to surrender and offered armed resistance,” the committee said, according to state news agency Khovar. It said two of the smugglers were killed during “the combat operation” and that a third suspect escaped in the darkness. The committee described the situation at the border with Afghanistan as “under control.” On April 8, delegates from border agencies of some countries belonging to the Commonwealth of Independent States, a regional group linked by past Soviet ties, assessed the Afghanistan situation during a meeting in Tajikistan. “There is general agreement that the unstable military-political and economic situation in Afghanistan will have a destructive impact on border security in the Central Asian region in the medium term,” the agencies said. Last year, a number of Chinese workers in Tajikistan were killed in cross-border attacks from Afghanistan, prompting the Chinese government to urge the Tajik government to take more robust steps to protect Chinese citizens and businesses. At the time, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and senior security officials discussed ways to strengthen the southern border with Afghanistan, whose ruling Taliban movement promised to help find the attackers. The border between the two countries is rugged and mountainous in many places and is about 1,370 kilometers long, making it difficult to monitor.