Human rights organizations appealed to the authorities

A joint statement by human rights organizations was published on May 25.

Photo: Internet

Civil Rights Defenders, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights in Poland (HFHR), the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC), and the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) issued a joint statement calling on the authorities of Tajikistan to respect international law in connection with the events in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.

As the authorities of Tajikistan continue to brutally suppress protesters in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), human rights organizations urge compliance with international law, an end to violence, immediate access for international humanitarian and human rights organizations, and the restoration of internet, mobile, and communication services in the region.

The human rights organizations expressed concern over numerous arbitrary detentions of peaceful residents, attacks by security forces on the civilian population, the killing of informal leader Mamadbokir Mamadbakirov, and the detention of Ulfatkhonim Mamadshoeva.

In their joint statement, the human rights organizations called on the authorities of Tajikistan to immediately take the following actions:

• “Cease the brutal suppression and persecution of peaceful protesters and exercise restraint in accordance with their international human rights obligations.
• Immediately allow international humanitarian and human rights organizations, especially the International Committee of the Red Cross, access to the Rushan district to monitor the situation.
• Ensure that all detainees accused of participating in illegal protests have access to lawyers of their choice and provide them the opportunity to meet with them regularly and confidentially.
• Immediately and unconditionally release human rights defender Ulfatkhonim Mamadshoeva and drop all charges against her.
• Urgently, effectively, and thoroughly investigate the use of force and the circumstances leading to the death and injury of civilians during the events of November 2021 and May 2022, and make the results public.”