Rahmon admitted to mass killings

The President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, has for the first time acknowledged that he bears responsibility for the mass killings in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.

Photo: Internet

On June 18, in his homeland in the Danghara district, Emomali Rahmon stated in the presence of government members, law enforcement officials, and the public that he personally ordered the destruction of part of the protesters, while another part was to be arrested and imprisoned.

The President of Tajikistan accused the protesters in GBAO of collaborating with the opposition abroad and stated: “They were controlled by their foreign masters, who financed 26 million somoni (2.4 million dollars – ed.) in a short time… the same Islamic Revival Party and their masters.”

The leader of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan, Muhiddin Kabiri, told the “Bomdod” agency that Rahmon’s accusations are “a continuation of the old policy of searching for internal and external enemies,” and called these statements “lies” and “insinuations,” asserting that neither the IRPT nor other Tajik opposition groups had any connection to the recent protests in GBAO and did not finance them.

“I personally ordered to destroy armed individuals or arrest them,” said Rahmon, referring to the crackdown on protesters, whom the authorities label as “criminal and armed groups.”

The President of Tajikistan, this time speaking without notes, also took responsibility for the killing of Mamadbokir Mamadbokirov and his associates, stating: “I did not authorize a military operation in Khorog; everything was conducted at a high professional level. This is the function of the state, its task, and the task of the head of state.”

Since the events in Khorog in 2012, more than 75 residents of GBAO have been killed under various pretexts. However, during this time, not a single killer has been arrested or held accountable.

The main demands of the protesters in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, particularly in Khorog and the Rushon district, were legitimate. When residents realized that no one was listening to their demands, they called for the resignation of the mayor of Khorog and the regional chairman. In response, law enforcement agencies began shooting at peaceful residents, labeling them as “terrorists.”

It is believed that one of the main reasons for the events in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) over the past eight months has been bribery and harassment of local girls by police and prosecutor’s office employees, which has caused discontent among residents. However, Emomali Rahmon has not acknowledged the guilt of his subordinates and has not addressed the issues of improper staffing and economic policy.