USCIRF: Emomali Rahmon violates freedom of religion in Tajikistan

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) stated that the authorities of Tajikistan are detaining and imprisoning a large number of believers under the pretext of combating extremism.

As reported by Radio Ozodi, on December 18, during the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast, the commission’s vice chair, Osif Mahmud, noted that “the government of Emomali Rahmon tightly controls the activities of believers and violates the right of all groups to freedom of religion.”

The vice chair of USCIRF emphasized that Emomali Rahmon governs the country with his entire family and views any activities or initiatives of believers, especially educated youth, as a threat to himself and his family, sending them to prison for long years.

In its reports over the past ten years, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has regularly criticized the authorities for strict restrictions on religious education, control over the import and distribution of religious literature, and stringent oversight of mosque registration and the appointment of Islamic spiritual leaders.

In its recent report published on March 28, 2025, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended that the State Department re-list Tajikistan as a “country of particular concern for religious freedom” (CPC) due to systematic and particularly severe violations of residents’ rights to freedom of religion or belief, alongside North Korea, Myanmar, Turkmenistan, China, and other countries.

The commission emphasized that dozens of citizens have been detained and imprisoned solely for peaceful religious practices. The exact number of such individuals is unknown; however, according to USCIRF, it is quite large.

The statement from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom came against the backdrop of Emomali Rahmon’s speech on December 16 before parliament, during which he openly criticized women’s clothing, including the wearing of hijabs and Muslim attire, and stated that respect for parents and raising children would replace the performance of the obligatory pilgrimage (hajj).

Experts assess such statements from the president as an open violation of religious freedoms and an ignoring of believers’ rights to peaceful activities.