Call to the international community for an URGENT action to prevent another violent clash in GBAO, Tajikistan

This is our third plea since December 2021 to the international community requesting action to prevent further violent clashes in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO), where the Indigenous minority Pamiri reside. We are saddened by the near zero attention of the government of Tajikistan to the calls and concerns raised by human rights organizations and UN Special Rapporteurs on violent crack downs of protests, long lasting internet cut-outs, cases of extrajudicial arrests and executions, and intimidation of the population by the Tajik authorities. UN Special Rapporteurs underlined in their recent statement: “Disregard of the Pamiri minority grievances by Tajik authorities and the securitization of the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous region where they live could lead to a violent conflict if unaddressed”.

Background

The investigation of the circumstances of the killing on 25 November 2021 by the special forces of Gulbiddin Ziyobekov, 29-year old resident of Tavdem village, Roshtqala district, GBAO, that led to four days of mass protests in Khorog, has stalled with no end in sight. Similarly, the investigation into the circumstances of the use of firearms by government forces on the first day of the protest, when they opened fire at the protesters, killing two local residents, Gulnazar Murodbekov and Tutisho Amirshoev, and wounding 13 others, is also stalled.

The main demands of the protesters were not fulfilled though explicitly agreed to by Tajik authorities as conditions of ending protests as of 29 November 2021: (1) to investigate the killing of Mr. Ziyobekov, as well as the use of firearms by the government forces against civilians during the protests of 25-26 November 2021, (2) to reduce the number of military and security personnel by 60-70 percent, (3) to remove security checkpoints that were set up in 2018 in and around Khorog, (4) to remove the Governor of GBAO, who was appointed on 5 November 2021.

Instead, Tajik authorities have opened criminal against 16 natives of GBAO, with 13 sentenced to different prison terms in connection with the protests in November 21, 2022. No legal representation was allowed cos the protestors. There was no investigation opened into the case of using firearms against the demonstrators, none of those wounded during the events of 25-28 November, including the relatives of those killed, were officially recognized as victims.

The Tajik authorities continue their pressure of prominent and outspoken representatives of Pamiri diaspora. Chorshanbe Choshanbiev, a popular Pamiri mixed martial arts fighter was extradited from the Russian Federation at the end of December 2021 and was convicted to 8.5 years of imprisonment for speaking up in support of the demands of the November protesters.

Amriddin Alovatshoev, a former sportsman and a prominent leader of Tajik and Pamiri diaspora, who was seen at a large rally held by the diaspora representatives at the Tajikistan Embassy in Moscow on 25 November 2022 was detained in Russian Federation on January 11, 2022 and forcibly returned to Tajikistan. Upon arrival in Dushanbe, Alovatshoyev was held in incommunicado detention from 11 January to 22 February 2022. On 29 April, 2022, Amriddin Avolatshoev was sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment.

Current Events and Escalation

Due to continued intimidation of GBAO residents, arrests, and threats of natives of GBAO both inside and outside the country, residents of GBAO gathered during an informal meeting on May 14 to discuss the situation through the traditional way of social organization, which is both part of the formal legal framework of Tajikistan on local governance practices and the historical traditional indigenous practice of the communities. The gathering decided to start a peaceful protest on Monday, May 16, 2022, if the government is not making concrete steps to fulfill the demands for justice voiced during the protest in November 2021.

In turn, the regional prosecutor of GBAO made a televised statement with false claims that the gathering was organized by the head of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party (IRPT) , the native of GBAO, Alim Sherzamonov, an opposition member in exile and Mamadboqir Mamadboqirov, an influential local leader who has been under threat of arrest since February 2022. The prosecutor equated the gathering to a serious criminal act calling the participants terrorists. The prosecutor further announced that any protests will be deemed as acts of terrorism and participants will be charged accordingly. According to reports from GBAO, the local law enforcement and security agencies started preparing for a violent crackdown of the planned protest on May 16, 2022, through reinforcement of security checkpoints, and preparation of specialized military equipment. It was also reported that the internet connection has been worsening with possible cut off by 10 pm on May 15, 2022; it was cut off from November to March. This positioning is not only erroneous, it is a dangerous justification to further secure funding from Western nations to oppress civil society under the guise of security.

We reiterate that all protests and civil disobedience actions were and will be as a result of the unlawful actions by the law enforcement against the local population in GBAO, as well as representatives of the Pamiri diaspora in Dushanbe and Russian Federation. These are in line with the constitutional rights under Tajik law. We do not ask for anything beyond what is granted to all citizens under Tajik law.

Call to the International Community

In these circumstances, we, the Pamiri diaspora civil society activists, speaking on behalf of the residents of GBAO, as well as all democratic-minded people of Tajikistan, ask for involvement and intervention by the international community. We are asking for the statements by the United Nations, OSCE, European Union, SCO, other international organizations, the governments of the donor countries to call on the Government of Tajikistan to not resort to violent crackdown and address the following demands of the Pamiri minorities:

➢ Full withdrawal of military and security forces, except those police and border guard units which are normally required for the maintenance of public order and border protection in GBAO;

➢ Immediate access for representatives of local and international mass media to the region;

➢ Full investigation of the deaths and injuries among civilians occurred in November 2022;

➢ Immediate halt to the practice of intimidation, arrests, forced televised confessions and heavy verdicts against GBAO natives; and

➢ Guarantees from the Government of Tajikistan that use of force will not be used against peaceful protests in GBAO.

We are also requesting monitoring, advocacy and assistance by the specialized agencies of the United Nations, OSCE, ICRC, international and local human rights organizations in the course of the investigation by the law enforcement bodies into the acts, which took place on 25-28 November 2021 and caused the protests, as well as arrests, investigations, convictions of the Pamiri natives with the view of ensuring that such investigation and trial, if any, are and have been carried out in full compliance with the laws of Tajikistan, as well as Tajikistan’s obligations under the UN human rights conventions and the OSCE Human Dimension commitments.

We call on the international community for immediate action to prevent violent clash in GBAO.