The situation with religious freedom in Tajikistan raises concern

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in its latest annual report on the state of religious freedom worldwide assessed the situation regarding freedom of religion in Tajikistan as a cause for particular concern.

The authors of the annual report urged the U.S. State Department to include Tajikistan on the list of “countries of particular concern.” They emphasized that the situation regarding freedom of religion and belief in Tajikistan has significantly worsened over the past year.

In its 2023 annual report, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended that the U.S. State Department include 17 countries, including Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, on the list of “countries of particular concern,” as the governments of these countries commit or allow “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations” of the right to freedom of religion or belief.

The Commission described the situation regarding freedom of religion and belief in these two authoritarian countries as “intolerable” and even “horrific.” The governments of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan tightly control the activities of religious organizations, religious figures, religious education, and even the clothing of citizens, the report notes.

Emomali Rahmon and Serdar Berdymukhamedov (previously his father Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov), the leaders of these countries, are accused of disrespecting religion and violating women’s rights.

Experts believe that U.S. authorities now have the opportunity to exert pressure on these authoritarian governments, whose actions are unacceptable, using the situation regarding freedom of religion and belief as leverage. U.S. authorities could increase pressure by imposing sanctions on government entities and officials, freezing their bank accounts, and banning them from entering the U.S.