Pro-government blogger cries and complains about officials

Famous blogger Idibek Mardon, known on social media as “Idibeki Bokhtari,” tearfully complained about the Tajik authorities.

In his video address, which was reportedly recorded after he left the country, the blogger stated that officials tried to “break” him. The video was published on September 30 and has already garnered nearly 300,000 views.

According to Idibek, the number of officials in the country who “break” residents has increased, he was in danger, and therefore he had to leave the country. The blogger mentioned the mayor of Bokhtar (formerly Kurgonteppa) Abdulmajid Muminzoda and the chairman of the Khatlon region. He claimed that it was due to the pressure from these two officials that he was forced to flee Tajikistan.

The blogger gained fame for sharply criticizing representatives of the Tajik opposition, opponents of the government of Emomali Rahmon, in his videos.

Previously, Idibeki Bokhtari lived and worked in Russia. At that time, the blogger also filmed his videos in Russia. He was distinguished by his unusually long beard. However, he recently reported that he returned to his homeland. In his latest video, it is evident that he has significantly shortened his beard.

Earlier, international and human rights organizations criticized the authorities of Tajikistan for the forced shaving of men’s beards. However, blogger Idibek always rejected these accusations in his videos, claiming that no one prevented him from growing a long beard. However, apparently, upon returning to Tajikistan, he quickly faced reality and had to shorten his beard.

In his video address, Idibek claims that 78%-80% of the youth who were forced to leave the country and joined the opposition did so because of the poor treatment from such officials. With tears in his eyes, he states that his life is in danger. At the same time, he praises President Rahmon, asserting that all of this is “the work of subordinates,” and the president knows nothing about it.

It is unclear why the authorities pressured him, as he previously claimed to be well acquainted with the officials and communicated with them. In his earlier videos, he consistently supported the government of the country and personally President Rahmon.

A month ago, this Tajik blogger criticized the mayor of Bokhtar in his video. He noted that the city is in a deplorable state. In the video, he showed a reservoir full of garbage and complained about the unpleasant smell. This lake, filled with trash, is located near residential houses where hundreds of people live. According to Idibek, the government allocated funds to address this problem, but 70,000 somoni (about $6,500) were embezzled by officials. This practice is widespread in Tajikistan: most of the improvement and construction of new facilities is carried out by entrepreneurs, while officials participate in opening ceremonies and boast that the government of Tajikistan is engaged in improvement.

The blogger in his video address also threatened that he possesses a large amount of information about the corruption schemes of the mayor of Bokhtar and will publish it if necessary.

The video went viral on Tajik social media, with many users in the comments accusing the blogger of hypocrisy and lying. Users in the comments state that all these problems he is now discussing have always existed in the country, but he only admitted to this when he himself became a victim of the authorities’ arbitrariness.