HRW calls on authorities to stop the persecution of Pamiris

Human Rights Watch called on the authorities of Tajikistan to end the practice of unfair trials of residents of GBAO.

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The international organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) today, August 23, in its statement called on the authorities of Tajikistan to put an end to unfair trials of residents of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.

“The authorities of Tajikistan must end this injustice and fulfill their international obligations to stop unlawful detentions and ensure fair judicial proceedings,” the statement noted.

The authors of the statement emphasized that the country’s authorities have detained more than 200 people in GBAO, including at least 90 activists, on charges related to protests and the subsequent clashes. They do not have access to lawyers.

“Dozens of activists and other representatives of the Pamiri minority in GBAO are facing unfair trials that are held behind closed doors and without access to lawyers. Without lawyers, the accused cannot achieve a fair trial and are at great risk of being subjected to torture or ill-treatment,” said Human Rights Watch researcher for Central Asia, Siyat Sultanalieva.

The statement noted that Tajikistan joined the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1999, which stipulates that everyone accused of a criminal offense has the right to a fair and public trial, access to a lawyer, and sufficient time to prepare a defense and gather evidence.

After the protests in May 2022 in GBAO, which resulted in dozens of deaths, law enforcement agencies arrested dozens of people, including civil society activists from GBAO, on charges of inciting demonstrations, some of whom have already been sentenced to long terms. Many residents of GBAO have also been detained in Russia under various pretexts and deported to Tajikistan.

The detainees and their relatives denied all the authorities’ accusations, calling them unfounded.