Prisoner of conscience Shamil Khakimov was stopped from attending his only son s funeral in September, and has not been hospitalised for the specialised medical treatment he needs. This is despite multiple reminders – the most recent on 13 September – from the UN Human Rights Committee that the regime s human rights obligations require this. Freedom of religion and belief and other human rights of prisoners of all faiths continues to be violated.
22 December 2020
Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18, and John Kinahan, Forum 18
Tajikistan restricts freedom of religion and belief, along with interlinked freedoms of expression, association and assembly. Forum 18 s survey analyses violations including: ban on and punishments for all exercise of freedom of religion or belief without state permission; severe limitations on numbers of mosques; jailing of Muslim, Jehovah s Witness and Protestant prisoners of conscience on alleged extremism charges; impunity for torture; jailing of conscientious objectors; and state censorship of religious materials.
Tajikistan has a record of violating freedom of religion or belief and related human rights such as the freedoms of expression and association. Serious violations documented by Forum 18 include but are not limited to: