Tajikistan: Citizens are required to sign a document that they will not hold a rally

A photo of the document is circulating on social networks. It is required to be signed by all residents of Khorog. Residents say that they are approached by law enforcement officers and government agencies’ representatives, and asked to sign document, warning against liability for participation in illegal actions.

The full text of the receipt is as follows:

Receipt

I, full name, date of birth, live… give this receipt that I was warned that for participating in illegal protests, standing at illegally organized posts, protecting leaders and members of organized criminal groups, as well as committing other offenses (that the listed in accordance with Article 36 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Tajikistan will be regarded as complicity in a crime) … I will be held responsible along with the leaders and members of organized criminal groups, and detention measures may be taken against me without additional warning.

In the event of the commission of the actions mentioned above, I will be held legally responsible.

If I commit crimes and other illegal actions, and if I am detained by law enforcement agencies, I will not file any complaints or applications.

Last name

Signature

Date

Due to the lack of a stable Internet connection, it’s not possible to verify the reliability of information from social networks. Law enforcement agencies don’t comment on this information either.

Human rights activists say that the authorities may thus want to stop the protest movement among young people in Khorog, who gather in Barkhorog microdistrict in the evening and at night and thereby create “checkpoints” and barriers, hindering the movement of law enforcement patrols. They also stop all cars at night and ask about the purpose of the trip to Barkhorog.

Around the house of one of the authorities of the autonomous region Mamadbokir Mamadbokirov, residents of this microdistrict, as well as numerous relatives and supporters of the former commander of the self-defense forces of Pamir, are constantly on duty. In this way, residents are trying to prevent the authorities from conducting an operation to detain Mamadbokirov and his supporters, saying that if the authorities decide to take such a step, it will “lead to bloodshed and the death of innocent people”.

It’s been two weeks since the authorities gave Mamadbokirov and six of his supporters six days to give themselves up. They are charged under four articles of the Criminal Code.

Information has been circulated in the pro-government media that Mamadbokirov is the leader of an organized criminal group and that his brother was convicted of smuggling 37 kg of drugs. However, Mamadbokirov says that at the time when he was the commander of the border detachment in Murgab region, he contributed to the opening of the road to Kulma and the suppression of illegal drug trafficking, and that neither he nor his supporters are criminal elements.