The discussion on the human rights situation in the Republic of Tajikistan took place on November 5 in Geneva. Western states called on Dushanbe to release arbitrarily detained individuals and to cease the persecution of citizens residing abroad.
Official Dushanbe Position
The official Tajik delegation at the meeting was led by Minister of Justice Muzaffar Ashurien. He presented a report on the implementation of international recommendations over the past 4.5 years and highlighted the adoption of the National Human Rights Strategy through 2038 as a significant achievement. According to the minister, this document takes into account both the republic's domestic issues and proposals from UN bodies.
Muzaffar Ashurien emphasized that current legislation guarantees the right to freedom of expression and that work to improve media laws is ongoing. As evidence of operational freedom, he cited the number of registered media outlets.
Media Criticism of the Situation
Despite the minister's report, Radio Free Europe/Radio Ozodi notes the lack of real press freedom in the country. In particular, the official report failed to mention that at least seven independent journalists and bloggers are being held in Tajik prisons.
