EurasiaNet.org reports a man in northern Tajikistan has reportedly been arrested and potentially faces several years in jail for being slightly disrespectful to a poster of President Emomali Rahmon.
Akhbor news website reported last week that Hasan Abdurazoqov, an unemployed father of three in the Sughd province, offended Rahmon ahead of the recent Nowruz holidays.
“In public view, he took a picture of Rahmon down from the wall, he threw it to the ground and said: ‘You have everything, you have a good life, and me, I have nothing with which to continue my life,’” an unnamed source familiar with the case was quoted as telling Akhbor.
If the prosecution goes ahead, it would be the first ever to be pursued under the law criminalizing insulting the Leader of the Nation, which is punishable by up to five years in jail. It is worth noting, however, that legislation already exists to make insulting the president punishable by prison, so Abdurazoqov in effect violated two laws at the same time. However, while presidents may come and go, Rahmon will remain the only Leader of the Nation.
Authorities have avoided commenting publicly on Abdurazoqov’s case and sources have said no lawyers have agreed to take up the case. Lawyers taking on cases on behalf of politically problematic figures have themselves ended up object of harassment and, in some instances, received draconian prison terms on flimsy charges.
The exact rules as to what constitutes insulting the president are troublingly vague. Sources have informed EurasiaNet.org that even those “liking” problem posts on social media could potentially fall under the law.
Another piece of legislation in the works envisions penalties for all those failing to properly implement any decrees or instructions promulgated by the Leader of the Nation.
