Freedom Now called for the immediate release of Buzurgmehr Yorov

The organization noted that it has been 3000 days since the detention of the convicted human rights defender.

The international human rights organization Freedom Now, headquartered in New York, called on the authorities of Tajikistan on December 16 via its page on social network X (formerly Twitter) to immediately and unconditionally release the human rights defender Buzurgmehr Yorov, who has been sentenced to a long prison term.

The organization “Freedom Now” once again urged the authorities of Tajikistan to immediately and unconditionally release the well-known defense lawyer and political prisoner Buzurgmehr Yorov.

“3000 days ago, in Tajikistan, lawyer Buzurgmehr Yorov was arrested for providing legal assistance to members of the political opposition. We call for his immediate and unconditional release,” the organization stated.

The well-known human rights defender Buzurgmehr Yorov was detained in 2015 while defending detained members of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan in court.

Later, the court sentenced Buzurgmehr Yorov to 28 years in prison on various unfounded charges, including insulting representatives of the authorities, disrespecting the court, and insulting the president of Tajikistan. Yorov’s relatives stated that the trial was politically motivated.

Subsequently, according to the law “On Amnesty,” his sentence was reduced by 6 years in 2019, and by another 4 years in 2021.

However, in July 2023, the court added another ten years to his prison sentence based on fabricated charges of fraud. The trial did not meet international standards. Yorov himself called all the charges fabricated and denied his guilt.

The 52-year-old Buzurgmehr Yorov has often faced intimidation and mistreatment in prison, and he has been denied access to lawyers.

Previously, the international human rights organization Freedom Now also called on the authorities of Tajikistan to release imprisoned members of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan, particularly the deputy leader of the IRPT, Mahmadali Hayit, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment.