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Geneva-Paris, July 1, 2019. As the UN Human Rights Committee prepares to scrutinize the
\nhuman rights situation in Tajikistan, a new report by the Observatory for the Protection
\nof Human Rights Defenders (an OMCT-FIDH partnership) highlights how the regime of
\nPresident Rahmon gradually eroded the freedom of association and expression of its
\ncritics, including human rights defenders and lawyers.<\/p>\n
The report titled Their last stand? How human rights defenders are being squeezed out in
\nTajikistan, published today by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and FIDH,
\nwithin the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders,
\noutlines how the authorities have increasingly restricted the legal space for human rights
\norganisations and independent lawyers to provide assistance to victims of human rights
\nviolations, including torture.<\/p>\n
\u201c We fear that human rights defenders in Tajikistan are in the middle of the worst<\/span> The report finds that amendments to, among others, the Law on Public Associations – Finally, journalists and lawyers have been criminally prosecuted for defending victims, Context<\/strong> For more information, please contact: Source:<\/strong> FIDH<\/a><\/p>\n
\noppression yet. So it beggars belief when the international community fails to<\/span>
\nstand up for those brave women and men. On a recent visit to Tajikistan EU<\/span>
\nCouncil President Donald Tusk poured lavish praise on Rahmon but failed to speak<\/span>
\nout publicly on his human rights record. This is unacceptable<\/span> \u201d, said Gerald
\nStaberock, OMCT Secretary General.<\/p>\n
\nallegedly introduced to combat money laundering, terrorism and financing of terrorism –
\nseverely restricted the ability of human rights defenders and others to set up and run civil
\nsociety organisations without undue interference. At the same time various official bodies
\nwere handed tremendous powers to conduct frequent and intrusive inspections of NGOs.
\nFurthermore, the authorities bear responsibility for causing an acute shortage of lawyers
\nin the country, with grave implications for the right of access to a lawyer of one\u2019s choice
\nand other fundamental human rights. New legislation sets unreasonably high admission
\ncriteria for the bar and mandates a body presided by a Deputy Minister of Justice with
\ntesting and periodically re-testing all lawyers, giving the executive authority additional
\ngrounds for exclusion of lawyers from the bar on an arbitrary basis.<\/p>\n
\nincluding the 28 years jail sentence for prominent human rights lawyer Buzurgmehr Yorov.
\n\u201c These developments pose a fundamental threat to the existence of a free and<\/span>
\nindependent civil society and legal profession in Tajikistan \u201d<\/span>, concluded Dimitris
\nChristopoulos, FIDH President.<\/p>\n
\nThe report is released ahead of Tajikistan\u2019s review by the UN Human Rights Committee
\nfrom July 1 to 3, 2019. The Committee oversees State parties\u2019 compliance with their legal
\nobligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
\n\u2014 –
\nThe Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was
\ncreated in 1997 by OMCT and FIDH. The objective of this programme is to intervene to
\nprevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. OMCT and
\nFIDH are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights
\nDefenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society.<\/p>\n
\u2022 OMCT: Iolanda Jaquemet \/ Roemer Lemaitre: + 41 79\u00a0539 41 06 \/ + 41 22 809 49 39\u00a0
\u2022 FIDH: Eva Canan: + 33 6 48 05 91 57<\/strong><\/p>\n