Tajik human rights activist Izzat Amon intends to establish party that will represent interests of Tajik labor migrants. It members intend to participate in parliamentary elections that will take place in Tajikistan next year.
Izzat Amon now lives in Russia and is engaged in providing legal protection to Tajik labor migrants. He heads the Center of Tajiks (Markazi Tojikon) in Moscow. The Center reportedly provides legal assistance to Tajik labor migrants in courts and police stations as well as makes available legal consultations, and sometimes it provides financial support to labor migrants.
Izzat Amon told Asia-Plus that he plans to name the party “Changes, Reforms and Development” and it will represent interests of Tajik labor migrants.
According to him, they are going to participate in the parliamentary elections that will take place in Tajikistan next year.
“The process of forming a team and creating the party’s structure is in progress and we plan to submit our documents for registration to the Ministry of Justice in the near future,” Amon said, noting that 1,200 people already declared their intention to join the party.
“All two million Tajikistanis living in Russia will support us,” said Izzat Amon. “Our labor migrants are most powerless in Russia and nobody stands up for them. Their rights are infringed the most.”
Izzat Amon had earlier said that Tajik authorities had instituted criminal proceedings against him, accusing him of extremism. Criminal proceedings have reportedly been instituted against him for a video in which he criticizes ban on hijabs in Tajikistan. “However, no charge has been brought against me officially,” Amon added.
