HRW report: UN review provides opportunity to address Tajikistan rights abuses News
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HRW report: UN review provides opportunity to address Tajikistan rights abuses

Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report Monday stating the need to call out Tajikistan’s human rights crackdown.

The report states that since banning in 2015 its sole remaining opposition party, the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), the Tajik government has jailed hundreds of political activists, journalists, and lawyers. Torture and ill-treatment are routinely reported in places of detention, and domestic violence also reportedly remains a serious problem.

In late October, HRW released a Universal Periodic Review update on Tajikistan, stating that Tajikistan’s authorities continue to harass and imprison government critics, opposition, foreign-based dissidents, and their family members within the country.

The update recommended the opinions of the Human Rights Committee and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on cases of a number of named persons arbitrarily imprisoned on politically motivated charges, The update also recommended a stop to the harassment of the family members of Tajik citizens living abroad, as well as an end to the misuse of extradition mechanisms to return Tajik citizens to face politically motivated harassment and persecution.

The review also outlined a number of other human rights abuses and recommendations. This included abuses of the freedoms of expression, religion, and belief. This also included violence at the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border, poor prison conditions, and torture in custody.

On November 4, Tajikistan will face its third Universal Periodic Review. This is a discussion during which UN member states can review the human rights progress and challenges of other governments and make recommendations to the country in question. HRW noted that this discussion will be a chance for UN member states to make it clear to the Tajik authorities that they will not ignore the human rights abuses currently occurring.