Tajikistan Justice - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 13 - 18 of 143

Amnesty

Tajikistan Amnesty to Free or Reduce Sentences for More Than 18,000

President Emomali Rahmon has signed an amnesty law covering 18,038 convicted people as Tajikistan prepares to mark 35 years of independence. The measure provides full release for 11,305 people and reduces the unserved terms of 6,733 others. The 11,305 figure includes prison and settlement-colony sentences, along with punishments that do not involve custody. Women and minors will receive wider relief. Of 507 women serving sentences, 248 will be released, and 259 will receive shorter terms. Of 134 minors, 99 will be freed, and 35 will have their sentences reduced. Rahmon submitted the bill to the lower house of parliament on June 16 and signed it after adoption. The anniversary falls on September 9. His office said the measure would allow offenders to “return to their families and relatives, and engage in constructive work.” The published law gives broad eligibility to women, minors, men over 55, foreign citizens, people with disabilities, and people with specified serious illnesses. War veterans, certain mobilized personnel, Chornobyl victims and cleanup workers, and holders of state awards also qualify, subject to the law’s exclusions. People convicted of negligent offenses can also receive full release, subject to the law’s restrictions. Several groups serving deferred, suspended, or non-custodial sentences can qualify, as can people in settlement colonies or on parole. For intentional offenses, people sentenced to up to five years for minor or medium-severity crimes may qualify for release. People convicted of serious crimes may qualify after serving one-third of their terms. Those convicted of especially serious crimes may qualify after serving three-quarters. Exclusion clauses still apply. The law restricts full release for a long list of offenses, including provisions on murder, rape, terrorism, extremist activity, and serious drug trafficking. It also excludes life prisoners, especially dangerous repeat offenders, people whose death sentences were commuted, and prisoners convicted of intentional crimes while incarcerated. Some specified convictions can still receive fixed reductions of one, two, or three years. Eligible cases still under investigation or before the courts can be closed when the offense occurred before the law’s adoption. The measure also removes criminal records for people convicted of minor or medium-severity offenses committed before June 16. The authorities must decide every case individually. Investigators, military commanders, and prison authorities need a prosecutor’s approval. Courts must consider applications with a prosecutor present. The amnesty does not cancel additional penalties or duties to compensate victims. Local governments must help released people find work and return minors to their families or arrange education and care. Medical and social institutions must accommodate people who need treatment or supported housing. The law took effect after official publication. State bodies have two months to complete its implementation, after which the prosecutor general must report to Rahmon. Nurullo Mahmadullozoda, a legal scholar at Tajikistan’s National Academy of Sciences, said: “A person cannot be reformed through punishment alone.” He called for employment support, legal advice, psychological help, and restored social ties after release. The law names categories and Criminal Code provisions rather than individual beneficiaries. Whether any...

Public Health

Tajikistan Shuts Down Counterfeit Children’s Medicines Operation

Law enforcement authorities in Dushanbe have shut down an underground operation that allegedly produced counterfeit pharmaceutical products, including medicines intended for children. According to the Dushanbe police department, the seized products included syrups sold under well-known brands including Nurofen, Paracetamol, Lazolvan, Theraflu, and others. Authorities said the products were manufactured in unsanitary conditions and distributed with falsified branding. During searches, police confiscated around 35,900 bottles of syrup, more than 405,000 packages and labels, over 600 kilograms of raw materials, and equipment allegedly used in the production process. A 42-year-old Dushanbe resident, Otabek Dadachonov, has been detained on suspicion of organizing the illegal operation. The Interior Ministry said he had previously been convicted of several economic crimes. Several alleged accomplices were also detained and are accused of helping produce packaging and distribute the counterfeit medicines. Investigators said the group operated through officially registered companies but did not have the licenses required to carry out pharmaceutical activity. Dushanbe police warned that the distribution of such counterfeit medicines could pose a serious threat to public health, especially for children. A criminal case has been opened under several articles of Tajikistan’s Criminal Code. The investigation is ongoing.

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.