Protests by opposition from Central Asian countries took place in Germany

On September 29, the Tajik opposition, including representatives of the National Alliance of Tajikistan and other activists alongside opposition members from other Central Asian countries, held a demonstration to protest the visit of leaders from these countries to Germany.

The protests took place outside the residence of the President of Germany in Berlin, where President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was meeting with the leaders of Central Asian countries.

The demonstrators held signs reading “Freedom for political prisoners,” “Freedom for opposition activists,” and so on, chanted various slogans, and urged the German authorities not to cooperate with dictators for whom human rights mean nothing.

The Deputy Chairman of the National Alliance of Tajikistan, Alim Sherzamonov, addressed the German authorities during his speech.

“How can you shake hands with dictators who violate the rights of their citizens, unjustly repress and imprison journalists, free thinkers, and opponents?,” he questioned.

However, no representatives from the Central Asian countries or German authorities came out to speak with the demonstrators.

The leaders of Central Asian countries—presidents of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan—traveled to Germany at the official invitation of the German authorities. From September 28 to 30, negotiations will take place in Berlin between the heads of Central Asian states and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

On the morning of September 29, the national news agency “Khovar” reported that Emomali Rahmon met with President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the parties discussed issues of “expanding regional and bilateral relations in the fields of economy and trade, increasing trade volumes, exporting agricultural products, and developing interregional cooperation.”

It was reported that during this meeting, Emomali and his German counterpart discussed “cooperation in the field of security, particularly the issue of increasing threats and dangers, including the situation in Afghanistan.”

Simultaneously with the visit of the leaders of Central Asian countries to Germany, the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch urged President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to raise the issue of human rights at the meeting with the leaders of Central Asian countries. The German authorities should not miss the opportunity to pressure the heads of Central Asian states regarding the difficult human rights situation in the region, the organization noted.

Against the backdrop of President Emomali Rahmon’s visit to Germany, on September 28 and 29, the Tajik opposition organized protests outside the Tajik Embassy in Germany and the residence of the President of Germany in Berlin.