On the morning of May 18, employees of the State Committee for National Security and the Prosecutor General’s Office of Tajikistan detained journalist and civil activist Ulfathonim Mamadshoeva in her apartment and took her away. Until now, she is in custody, but no official announcement has been made about this. It isn’t known what she is charged with.
Well-known journalist Marat Mamadshoev, Ulfathonim’s brother, said that no criminal case had been opened against his sister, and a search was carried out in her apartment, but nothing suspicious was found.
On May 17, the Interior Ministry of Tajikistan accused the activist of ‘organizing an illegal rally’ along with Mamadbokir Mamadbokirov (one of Badakhshan’s unofficial leaders) and Alim Sherzamonov (deputy chairman of the banned National Alliance of Tajikistan), who is based abroad.
On the same day, in an interview with journalists from Radio Ozodi (the Tajik service of Radio Liberty) and the TV channel “Present Time”, Ulfathonim Mamadshoeva called all the accusations against her unfounded. According to her, she was in Dushanbe all last week and physically couldn’t participate in the organization of the rally in Khorog. After the interview, the journalists were attacked by unidentified individuals who took away all their video equipment and mobile phones. One of them called Radio Ozodi’s journalist Mulloradjab Yusufi by name and threatened to shoot him.
Social media activists came out in defense of Ulfathonim Mamadshoeva and called on the authorities to release her. “I know that you never had bad thoughts. If your case wasn’t classified as secret, everyone would be convinced of this,” writes journalist Ramziya Mirzobekova. “I know Ulfathonim as an activist who promotes non-violence and the resolution of any conflicts by negotiations and peaceful means,” says human rights activist Dilrabo Samadova.
Meanwhile, on May 18, the authorities of Tajikistan announced an anti-terrorist operation in Rushan district of GBAO, where clashes broke out between government troops and residents who blocked the road to Khorog.
“Organized criminal groups, consisting of 200 people, using all types of weapons in the center of Rushan district, blocked the highway Dushanbe-Khorog at three points and the road to the border commandant’s office… They attacked a convoy of vehicles of a special anti-terrorist unit of the State Committee for National Security of the Republic of Tajikistan. As a result of the attack, one officer was killed, 13 servicemen were seriously injured. On this fact, the Regional Prosecutor’s Office initiated a criminal case. An investigation is underway,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs reports.
However, according to local residents who were contacted before the blackout in the region, they didn’t have weapons, and the military fired at peaceful protesters who tried to stop the movement of the security forces column into the district. “As a result, 8 militants were neutralized, 11 were wounded, more than 70 active members of the terrorist group were detained,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs notes, emphasizing that “there are no casualties among civilians.”
The Internet and telephone communications in GBAO are disconnected, and it’s not possible to obtain any alternative information about the current situation.
