UN Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor urged Tajik authorities to release at least eight prisoners, including journalists and activists, during a meeting at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on March 12. Lawlor shared insights from her visit to Tajikistan in November-December 2022, expressing concern over the increasing pressure and fear faced by human rights defenders in the country. She highlighted the persecution faced by lawyers, journalists, and activists, who are targeted for their work with administrative pressure, threats, criminal prosecution, unfair trials, and imprisonment. Several individuals, including Daleri Imomali, Abdullokh Gurbati, Zavkibek Saidamini, and Abdusatttorom Pirmukhammadzoda, were sentenced to lengthy prison terms for criticizing Tajikistan's security forces during the suppression of protests in May 2022.
Lawlor emphasized the need for Tajikistan to fulfill its international obligations and collaborate with human rights defenders to establish a lawful and just society. She expressed concern over the arrests and detention of around 20 journalists and bloggers in the past six months, highlighting the inadequate evidence and closed-door investigations leading to charges against them. Lawlor's visit to Tajikistan shed light on human rights violations in the country, as documented in her report following the trip.
