Geneva, A UN expert has issued a stern rebuke following Tajikistan’s dissolution of 700 non-governmental organizations, urging the country to adopt a more collaborative stance toward civil society and human rights defenders.
According to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, expressed deep concern over the mass closure of NGOs in Tajikistan, highlighting it as a troubling indicator of shrinking civil liberties within the nation. The Tajik Ministry of Justice’s decision over an 18-month span ending in November 2023 has sparked fears of an increasingly hostile environment for advocates working on critical societal issues ranging from anti-torture campaigns to electoral integrity.
Lawlor emphasized the essential role these organizations have played for over two decades in addressing diverse issues, including disability rights, educational access, domestic violence, environmental protection, and land rights. The clampdown, particularly following unrest in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, has led to a drastic reduction in operational civil society organizations, impacting a broad spectrum of human rights and public services.
The report sheds light on the pressures faced by NGO leaders, resulting in a wave of self-dissolutions amid coercive tactics. This contraction of civic space in Tajikistan, as outlined by Lawlor, undermines democratic principles and human rights, signaling an urgent need for the Tajik government to reassess its approach and facilitate a more enabling environment for NGO activity.
The UN expert has initiated dialogue with the Tajik government, advocating for the reversal of these NGO dissolutions to restore and protect civil society’s function in the country.