Buzurgmehr Yorov granted amnesty

According to the Law of the Republic of Tajikistan “On Amnesty,” the prison term of the well-known Tajik human rights defender Buzurgmehr Yorov has been reduced by four years.

Photo: Internet

On October 17, 2021, one of Buzurgmehr Yorov’s close relatives informed AZDA TV that under the amnesty declared in honor of the 30th anniversary of Tajikistan’s independence, Buzurgmehr Yorov’s prison term had been reduced by four years.

According to a source, Buzurgmehr Yorov was informed about this on Wednesday, October 13, but due to the lack of communication with the outside world in their colony, as phones were disconnected or unavailable, his relatives learned about it only a few days later.

Convicted Buzurgmehr Yorov was arrested in 2015 after he took on the defense of detained leaders of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) and was later sentenced to 28 years in prison on fabricated charges.

At the time of his arrest, the human rights defender was working on the case of the first deputy chairman of the IRPT and former parliament member Saidumaro Khusaini. After meeting with his client, he informed the media that the authorities had offered Saidumaro Khusaini a high position in the government in exchange for the dissolution of the IRPT, but his client rejected the offer. After that, a bag was placed over Khusaini’s head, and he was brutally beaten. At that time, the authorities also arrested Buzurgmehr Yorov, searched his office, and seized all documents.

Buzurgmehr Yorov was sentenced to 28 years in prison. According to the Amnesty Law, in 2019, his prison term was reduced by six years, meaning that in total, his sentence has been reduced by 10 years. He still has 12 years left to serve in prison.

In 2019, the UN Human Rights Committee reviewed the cases of Buzurgmehr Yorov and other IRPT leaders and stated that his detention was arbitrary, calling on the Tajik government to immediately and unconditionally release political prisoners. However, to this day, the government of Emomali Rahmon has not complied with the UN committee’s demands regarding its international obligations.