Tajik opposition held a demonstration in Germany in memory of Kobiljon

Tajik opposition activists in Germany held a demonstration, sharply condemning the brutal murder of 10-year-old Kobiljon Aliyev in the Moscow region.

The demonstration was organized by the political movement “Group 24” and took place on December 21 of this year in front of the Russian consulate in Bonn. Dozens of activists participated in the demonstration, including members of “Group 24” and the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan, as well as children of opposition representatives.

Participants chanted slogans: “How long will insults and murders based on race and nationality continue?”, “Russia is an aggressor state built on fascism and violence”, “We demand a fair and independent investigation into Kobiljon’s murder”, “Every child has the right to life, dignity, and safety”, “No child should become a victim of hatred and racism”, and others.

The demonstrators held photographs of Kobiljon Aliyev, as well as photos of other children who were killed or died in Russia in the past — Khursheda Sultonova, Nilufar Sanginboeva, Umarali Nazarov, Daler Bobiev, and Khuvaydo Tillozo.

Also in the hands of the demonstrators were photographs of one of the key Kremlin ideologists Alexander Dugin, State Duma deputy Sergey Mironov, Chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin, Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia Vladimir Kolokoltsev, and leader of the LDPR Leonid Slutsky. These individuals are known for their anti-migrant rhetoric and xenophobic statements towards migrants, which led the Tajik opposition to accuse them of being the leaders and inspirers of the Russian nationalism movement.

In a statement read by the organizers of the action at the Russian consulate, the demonstrators called on the Tajik authorities to declare the aforementioned politicians persona non grata for inciting interethnic hostility and humiliating the dignity of migrants and to ban them from entering the country.

Furthermore, representatives of the Tajik opposition demanded that the Tajik government close the 201st Russian military base in Tajikistan, withdraw the military personnel, leaving the weapons and infrastructure at the disposal of Tajikistan.

In their statement, the demonstrators put forward other demands, including calling for the termination of dual citizenship agreements between Tajikistan and Russia, transferring the optical-electronic complex “Okno” located in the city of Norak to Tajikistan, as well as returning the dormitories of students of the Tajik Medical University, which, according to the authors of the statement, were illegally seized by the Russian embassy.

It is reported that none of the representatives of the Russian consulate in Germany came out to the participants of the action or engaged in communication with them.

This is the first demonstration organized by citizens of Tajikistan abroad after the brutal murder of 10-year-old Kobiljon in the Moscow region.