The authorities continue to repress and detain participants of rallies unauthorized by the authorities in November and May of this year in Khorog.
Over the past weekend in Khorog, more than ten members of the so-called Commission 44 (an unregistered public association which was created in the administrative center of GBAO on the last day of the November rallies to resolve the situation in Badakhshan jointly with the authorities) were detained and interrogated.
This group included 44 active members of civil society and informal leaders of the city of Khorog and the surrounding area, who became actively involved in resolving the situation in the administrative center of the autonomous region and investigating the events that became the catalyst for protests. Six of the group members were then included in the investigative-operational group of investigators of the General and Military Prosecutor’s Offices.
Under pressure from the group, the authorities issued a statement in which they promised to objectively investigate the murder of Gulbiddin Ziyobekov and punish those responsible, as well as not to detain those who went out to protest.
However, from the very beginning of its creation, Commission 44 began to report violations by local authorities and the power bloc. The members of the group appealed to both the head of state Emomali Rahmon and the Chairman of the Upper House of Parliament, Rustam Emomali. They asked to take the situation under control, citing the inability of local law enforcement agencies to achieve stability in the region. Instead of responding, the authorities only increased pressure on the members of the group and other participants in the protests, literally starting a hunt for all those involved in the protests, including those from Gorno-Badakhshan who lived abroad.
On January 19 of this year, Commission 44 issued a statement that the group ceased cooperation with the authorities in conditions where ‘no one is investigating the circumstances of the death and injury of civilian residents, and at the same time the population is being held accountable for even small violations’.
After new protests in May of this year, the authorities actively began to persecute all civil society activists. Ulfathonim Mamadshoeva, whom the authorities accuse of organizing mass riots, and other informal leaders of Badakhshan were detained. Mamadbokir Mamadbokirov, one of the most authoritative leaders of GBAO, was killed under mysterious circumstances.
On May 28, members of Commission 44 were also summoned to the local Prosecutor’s Office. They were interrogated about receiving money from abroad and then placed in a pre-trial detention center under the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“13 members of our group were detained. They are accused of illegally receiving funds from abroad,” one of the members of the group told the media. “We used to receive official financial assistance from labor migrants who hoped for a fair investigation of the November events. But there was no financial assistance from foreign organizations and countries. Only migrants, natives of Badakhshan, helped us. People just wanted to get justice, and this mission was entrusted to Commission 44.
Official sources don’t comment on the detentions of civil society activists. However, one of the law enforcement officers, on condition of anonymity, commented on the detentions of members of Commission 44. “It’s a usual legal illiteracy of our citizens. Despite the fact that this informal group also included lawyers, they didn’t inform their colleagues that the members of the group and Commission 44 itself didn’t have the right to carry out financial and economic activities, that is, to receive money or other property in the name of this group. They could make statements, present information to the media, carry out activities to protect common interests and achieve their goals, but no financial affairs. During interrogations, the members of the group testify that they were officially given money, and this is illegal.”
The situation in GBAO has been tense since November 25, 2021. During a special operation by security forces in the village of Tavdem (Roshtkal district of GBAO), the local resident Gulbiddin Ziyobekov was killed. After the incident, up to several thousand people gathered in the central square of the city of Khorog. The rallies continued for four days. Two more people were killed, 17 were injured. The demand of the audience was to bring to justice those responsible for the death of Ziyobekov, the resignation of the new head of the region Alisher Mirzonabot, the withdrawal of the military from Khorog and the restoration of Internet in the region.
The members of Commission 44 were the main negotiators with the authorities. With their mediation, a four-day protest in Khorog ended, but the investigation into the murder of Gulbiddin Ziyobekov and two other victims of the November events continues to this day.
