The Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law has announced the winners of its 2025 Human Rights Awards. In the category "For Active Civic Engagement in Journalism," the award went to Mazhab Juma, editor of the Tajik-language Service of Asia-Plus News Agency.
The awards ceremony took place on December 9, in honor of International Human Rights Day.
Mazhab Juma has over 15 years of experience in journalism and has been working with Asia-Plus since 2021. He was appointed editor of the Asia-Plus’s Tajik-language Service in December 2024. The award recognizes his dedication to covering socially important topics and defending the public interest through his reporting.
Other recipients included Tahmina Haidarova, a lawyer and head of the public association, Network of Women Living with HIV, who was named “Human Rights Defender of the Year.”
The “Outstanding Contribution to Human Rights by a Civil Society Organization” award went to Korvoni Umed, a local NGO.
Since 2009, the Bureau for Human Rights has presented annual awards to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the promotion and protection of human rights in Tajikistan. Laureates include human rights defenders, scholars, journalists, and civil society activists.
