Opposition - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 207

Activist in Exile: Tajikistan Pressures Family Over Political Dissent

Mahmadsobir Abdukakhor, an activist associated with the banned Group 24 in Tajikistan, has accused law enforcement agencies in the Rasht District of pressuring his family. According to Abdukahkhor, authorities are demanding that his relatives persuade him to renounce his political activities and return to Tajikistan. “They came to my parents and brother, demanding that they convince me to return and ask for forgiveness from the authorities. But my parents are not responsible for my actions,” Abdukahkhor told Radio Ozodi on December 16. Abdukahkhor stated that such tactics are not new but reaffirmed that he would not stop his political activities or “repent,” as he does not trust the authorities’ assurances. “If I go back, I will either be killed like Umarali Kuwwatov or arrested like Sukhrob Zafar,” he said, referring to other opposition figures. Attempts by Radio Ozodi to obtain comments from Rasht District law enforcement agencies were unsuccessful. Tajik authorities have placed Mahmadsobir Abdukahkhor and other members of Group 24 — a political movement recognized as an extremist organization and banned in the country — on a wanted list. Abdukahkhor initially moved to Russia in 2012, where he ran a business and became involved in the movement before relocating to Europe. In 2014, Tajikistan amended its Criminal Code, allowing individuals accused of extremism to be exonerated if they return and “sincerely repent.” President Emomali Rahmon instructed law enforcement agencies to facilitate the return of such citizens. However, human rights activists claim that despite promises of amnesty, some returnees — including former members of ISIS and the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRP) — were subsequently arrested and imprisoned.

Arrest Court Cases United Nations Opposition Human rights

UN Expresses Concern Over Arrest of Kyrgyz Lawyer Samat Matsakov

The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, has voiced concern over the arrest of lawyer Samat Matsakov in Bishkek. In a statement published on social media platform X, Lawlor highlighted potential violations of procedural safeguards. “Received disturbing news about the arrest of human rights lawyer Samat Matsakov in Kyrgyzstan, which is a clear violation of procedural safeguards for arrest and fair trial standards. Lawyers must be protected from harassment and persecution,” she wrote. Detention and Charges Samat Matsakov was detained on November 29 on fraud charges. However, Matsakov claims he has not been provided with a clear explanation of the allegations against him. During a search of his apartment, an investigator from the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) confiscated a dictaphone and disks connected to a client’s case. The client, Imamidin Tashov, is the former director of the KG Group construction company. Matsakov has been placed in pre-trial detention until December 30. His arrest has sparked criticism from human rights activists and lawyers, who describe it as an unprecedented violation of the law. An appeal against the pre-trial detention order is currently being prepared. Professional Legacy Matsakov is well-known for defending journalists, the akyn (poet-singer) Askat Zhetigen, and various high-profile individuals, including company executives and public figures. His detention has drawn significant attention from human rights organizations and the international community. Critics argue that the arrest reflects broader challenges facing legal professionals in Kyrgyzstan, emphasizing the need for greater protections to ensure that lawyers can perform their duties without fear of harassment or persecution.

Corruption Human rights Opposition Court Cases

Tajik Lawyer Jailed After Exposing Alleged Corruption in Prosecutor’s Office

In Tajikistan, 74-year-old lawyer Faizi Oli, also known as Faizali Yuldoshev, has been sentenced to 2.5 years in prison after raising allegations of corruption within the prosecutor’s office. The Sino District Court in Dushanbe delivered its verdict on November 29. Oli was found guilty of “knowingly making a false denunciation” against employees of the prosecutor's office. However, he asserts that he merely exercised his right to file complaints with anti-corruption bodies, the Security Council, and the presidential administration, detailing what he described as evidence of corruption. A Controversial Case According to Oli’s lawyer, his complaints should have prompted an investigation, not legal proceedings against him. The court considered his advanced age when issuing the sentence, which fell below the minimum term of five years prescribed under Article 346 of the Tajik Criminal Code. The prosecution had sought a six-year prison term. Oli was arrested immediately after the verdict. Over the course of the five-month trial, he consistently maintained that the charges were baseless, and that filing complaints with the authorities is a legal right. This is not the first time Oli has been involved in a high-profile case; he previously defended his colleague, Saidnuriddin Shamsiddinov, who was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison on similar charges of false denunciation. At that time, Oli stressed the right of citizens to address grievances directly to the president and the Prosecutor General’s Office, a principle he believes is now being criminalized. Broader Context International human rights organizations have frequently criticized Tajikistan for targeting lawyers and human rights defenders. Many prominent figures, including Buzurgmehr Yorov, are serving lengthy prison sentences under controversial circumstances. Oli, known for his outspoken social media presence and comments on government operations, believes his activism may have influenced the court’s decision. He has announced plans to appeal the verdict after receiving the court’s written decision. The Prosecutor General's Office declined to comment on the case.

Coup attempt Revolution Japarov Kyrgyz assassination plot Opposition Security

Just Another Reported Assassination Attempt in Kyrgyzstan

The head of Kyrgyzstan’s State National Security Committee (GKNB), Kamchybek Tashiyev, says someone was plotting to kill him, and it is not the first time, and it is not only Tashiyev people want to assassinate. On November 20, Tashiyev said he received an anonymous letter with a flash drive that contained a death threat. Tashiyev also remarked that already “5-6 assassination attempts were prepared against me,” and “GKNB officers prevented two attempts on the life of President Sadyr Japarov.” Normally this would be amazing, even chilling news. However, Japarov and Tashiyev have been uncovering so many plots, some rather dubious, to overthrow the government since they bulldozed their way to power in late 2020 that it is difficult to gauge the seriousness of these assassination claims. According to the GKNB, by November 25, those responsible for this most recent threat were already apprehended. Surveillance cameras outside a GKNB station in Bishkek recorded the person who dropped off the letter with the threat. He turned out to be a homeless man who delivered the letter after a person identified only by his initials “Zh. A. S.” offered him food in exchange for dropping off the letter. Zh. A. S. was identified as a former Kyrgyz military pilot who served in the CIS peacekeeping force guarding Tajikistan’s border with Afghanistan in the mid-1990s. The suspect was convicted twice. It was not mentioned for which crimes, but the GKNB did say he had been plotting “for a long time” to kill Tashiyev. A report from Kyrgyzstan’s KNEWS media outlet included a curious comment attributed to the GKNB that the suspect was connected to “intelligence services of foreign states and destructive forces, pursuing interests in destabilizing the socio-political situation in the Kyrgyz Republic…“ The Mafia Since 2023, Japarov’s government has been waging the fiercest campaign in Kyrgyzstan’s history against organized crime, and Tashiyev and the GKNB have been leading this battle. Tashiyev alluded to this in his November 20 comments. “When I started fighting organized crime groups and others, I knew that such threats would exist,” Tashiyev said, adding, “I knew they would put pressure on me to give up the fight.” Certainly, the campaign against organized crime has made the government, and Tashiyev specifically, some powerful enemies. Raimbek “Millions” Matraimov amassed a fortune when he was deputy chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s Customs Service from 2015-2017, and even then, people knew he was an organized crime leader. He was so powerful that when Sadyr Japarov was catapulted from a prison cell into the president’s office when unrest broke out in Kyrgyzstan in October 2020, there were suspicions that Matraimov’s wealth and clout backed this meteoric ascent.If that is true, Matraimov misjudged Japarov. In early October 2023, the GKNB killed Kamchybek Asanbek, alias Kamchy Kolbaev, alias Kolya Kyrgyz, while trying to arrest him at a Bishkek restaurant. Kolbayev was believed to be the top kingpin of the organized criminal world in Kyrgyzstan. Matraimov fled Kyrgyzstan shortly after that. Kyrgyz authorities started confiscating Matraimov’s assets in...

journalist Human rights Opposition Mass Media Media Freedom Freedom of Speech

Tajik Journalist Rukhshona Khakimova Faces Treason Charges Amid Controversy

Tajik authorities have charged journalist Rukhshona Khakimova, the niece of Shokirjon Khakimov, first deputy chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan, with high treason under Article 305 of the Criminal Code. The charges are part of a larger investigation into an alleged coup attempt, according to sources cited by Radio Ozodi. The case, initiated in July, took a significant turn on November 22 when the indictment against Rukhshona and Shokirjon Khakimov was formally presented in court. The trial, held behind closed doors, has limited access to details, leaving the public and media in the dark. The Allegations Sources suggest that Rukhshona Khakimova’s charges stem from her involvement in conducting a politically sensitive poll about China’s influence in Tajikistan. The survey reportedly included interviews with Saidjafar Usmonzoda, a political figure stripped of parliamentary immunity and later arrested, and her uncle, Shokirjon Khakimov, who is also implicated in the case. It remains unclear how this survey forms the basis of a high treason charge. The secrecy surrounding the trial further obscures the connection. Background on Khakimova Rukhshona Khakimova, 31, is a graduate of the National University of Tajikistan with a career that spans investigative journalism for prominent outlets, including Youth of Tajikistan and several international publications. She is also a mother of two young children, the youngest being just five months old. Due to her family situation, Khakimova is under house arrest. Both her domestic and foreign passports have been confiscated, restricting her movements. She and her lawyer have declined to comment on the case, adhering to its classified nature. A Broader Context The trial, which began on November 14, involves multiple defendants, including well-known politicians and public figures accused of conspiring against the government. Held in a detention facility in Dushanbe, the closed proceedings exclude the participation of family members and the press, fueling speculation and concern among observers. As the case unfolds, it raises critical questions about press freedom, political dissent, and judicial transparency in Tajikistan.

criminal Press Freedom Social protection Court Cases Opposition Human rights

Turkmen Human Rights Activist Soltan Achilova Released After Forced Hospitalization

Renowned Turkmen journalist Soltan Achilova, along with her daughter and son-in-law, has been discharged from the infectious disease department of Choganly Hospital after six days of forced isolation. According to the Turkmenistan Chronicle portal, none of the three showed symptoms or signs of any infectious disease. Prior to their release, Achilova's apartment was disinfected, but authorities provided no explanation for their hospitalization or the results of medical tests conducted during their detention. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that Achilova and her relatives were hospitalized after a group of men in medical coats forcibly removed them from their home on November 20. This happened on a day when the journalist was scheduled to travel to Geneva to attend a Martin Ennals Foundation award ceremony, where her work was to be recognized. The timing has led to widespread speculation that the hospitalization was a calculated effort to prevent her attendance. While in isolation, doctors conducted blood tests and nasal swabs but failed to announce any diagnosis. Despite this, medical staff prescribed treatment, which Achilova refused, citing the absence of an explanation for her condition. The journalist's release was reportedly facilitated by diplomatic interventions from several countries and pressure from international human rights organizations. Although now safely home, the incident highlights the increasingly hostile environment for human rights defenders and independent journalists in Turkmenistan, a country notorious for its oppressive restrictions on free speech and movement.