DUSHANBE, October 23, 2014, Asia-Plus — The International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) has recently released a report,
The Protection of Fundamental Rights in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan: Update on Developments in Early July-Early October 2014
.
This report summarizes the findings of monitoring conducted by Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law (KIBHR), Nota Bene (Tajikistan) and Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights (TIHR, based in exile in Austria) in their respective countries, employing methods such as on-the-ground monitoring (including trial monitoring where possible); direct contacts with individuals affected by particular developments and other sources of information; monitoring of legal developments and actions of authorities; and media and social media monitoring.
The report addresses issues related to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association, equality before the law and non-discrimination, as well as access to justice.
According to the report, the Tajik authorities continued to advocate “stability” in society and to engage in efforts to prevent perceived attempts to “destabilize” the situation. In doing so, they received support from the country’s Muslim leaders, who adopted a controversial fatwa, the report says.
The report notes that in the recent period, there have been reports indicating that media and journalists are facing growing pressure in Tajikistan and some experts reportedly link that to the parliamentary elections that are coming up in February 2015.
In the most high-profile case so far this year, the newspaper
Asia-Plus
was convicted of defaming the country’s “intelligentsia”, a decision that was upheld by the Supreme Court in June.
Arbitrary blocking of websites continued. News sites such as Ozodi (Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service), Ferghana.ru and Centralasia.ru, as well as social media sites such as Odnoklassniki and Youtube were among the sites affected by blocking during the reporting period.
Moreover, in early October 2014, reports emerged about the blocking of hundreds of websites, including Facebook, Vkontake, Wikipedia, Russian news sites and many other sites. Proxy sites used to access blocked online resources were also targeted.
During the reporting period, there were several cases when religious leaders used their influence on citizens to deliver political messages denouncing criticism of the current authorities
In particular, in late September 2014, Tajikistan’s Ulamo Council (a body of Muslim clerics) adopted a controversial fatwa that stated that agitation against the authorities and actions aimed at destabilizing and undermining unity in society are a “great sin” for true Muslim believers. The fatwa also declared cooperation with international and national organizations, political parties and media that seek to destabilize Tajik society “sinful” and warned that those who fail to obey will face “godly anger.” The fatwa was announced by Chief Mufti Saidmukarram Abduqodirzoda during his Friday sermon at the main mosque in Dushanbe on 26 September 2014.
The report says that law enforcement authorities in the evening of October 4 held training on the dispersal of protests at the central square in Dushanbe. Individuals dressed in military uniforms, bulletproof vests and armed with weapons and batons cordoned off the street and imitated dispersal. Local residents had not been warned that such an event would be held and many did not at first realize that it was training. The training took place a few days before the day (October 10), when the opposition “Group 24” had called for holding an anti-government protest in central Dushanbe. On October 9, the Supreme Court declared this group “extremist” and banned its activities in Tajikistan. It also prohibited access to its website, as well as the production of written, audio and video material about the group on the territory of Tajikistan. This decision was made on the basis of a request from the General Prosecutor’s Office, according to which the group’s representatives allegedly have made “extremist” statements and agitated mass riots and the forceful seizure of power.
Widespread blocking of websites also occurred in the days prior to the announced date of the protest and imams warned believers not to be “provoked” by the group behind it, the report says.
The International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) is a non-profit organization with its seat in Brussels. It was founded in April 2008 with a mandate to support local civil society groups and help them to make human rights concerns heard at the international level.
