Frankfurt (11/09 – 20)

Two international human rights organizations have called on the Tajikistan government to immediately release jailed lawyer and human rights activist Manuchehr Kholiknazarov, as well as other activists and journalists.

The International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) and the international non-profit organization CIVICUS, which bills itself as “a global alliance aimed at strengthening the action of citizens and civil society around the world,” in their message published specially on the eve of Independence Day, September 8, focus on the fact that Tajik human rights activist and civil society activist Manuchehr Kholiknazarov was falsely sentenced to a long prison term. “The government of Tajikistan, which is celebrating Independence Day, must immediately release him and everyone who has been unjustly imprisoned,” the appeal says.

The International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) and the international non-profit organization CIVICUS, focus in their message on the fact that Tajik human rights activist and civil society activist Manuchehr Kholiknazarov was falsely sentenced to a long prison term and that the government of Tajikistan must immediately release him and everyone who has been unjustly imprisoned.

The head of the Pamir Lawyers Association, Manuchehr Kholiknazarov, was detained in May 2022 after protests by residents of Gorno-Badakhshan and sentenced to 16 years in prison on charges of “collaboration with the criminal community and banned organizations.”

Kholiknazarov was a member of the “Commission 44,” which was created by GBAO activists for a joint investigation with investigators from the General Prosecutor’s Office of the murder of Gulbiddin Ziyobekov, a resident of the Roshtkala district, and the November 2021 events in Khorog.

International human rights organizations criticized the fact that “the trial of Kholiknazarov took place behind closed doors and did not meet international standards of justice.”

They called the arrest and sentencing of Manuchehr Kholiknazarov a continuation of the Tajik government’s pressure on civil society activists, ranking Tajikistan among the most repressive countries in the world.

“The Tajik authorities, using fabricated charges, have repeatedly accused journalists, bloggers, activists and critics of the government of “extremism” and “terrorism.” – says the joint appeal of IPHR and CIVICUS.

Brigitte Dufour, director of IPHR, said Manuchehr Kholiknazarov has been in prison for 15 months simply because he defended people’s rights and fought injustice. “He’s not the only one. Tajikistan must immediately release Manuchehr and all other human rights defenders who have been imprisoned for defending people’s rights,” she said.

While human rights organizations have repeatedly demanded that the authorities release Badakhshan activists, calling them fighters for justice, the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Supreme Court classify them as “members and leaders of criminal groups.”

How the Tajik authorities responded to the new appeal and demands of human rights organizations regarding the release of Manuchehr Kholiknazarov and other activists is unknown.

This year, the international organization CIVICUS Monitor in its review ranked Tajikistan, along with Turkmenistan, China and Syria, as a “closed country”. This was the worst rating for the country.

Over the past year and a half in Tajikistan, eight journalists and bloggers have been imprisoned for periods ranging from 7 to 21 years for collaborating with banned organizations. Charges that human rights activists and the prisoners themselves called fabricated.

Source

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They noted that women are now denied the opportunity to pursue an education and employment, and that this has led to greater financial difficulties for families.

Shakila, a mother of five, explained the difficulties she is currently facing. 

“I sell fruits or vegetables because I do not have a breadwinner, I am a widow. I have to pay for the house. Everything is on me,” Shakila, a mother, noted.

“We have mostly widows who are the guardians of their children. We hope that the government of the Islamic Emirate will pay attention and allow them to have all the rights they have as girls of this land,” said Tafsir Siaposh, a women’s rights activist.

The absence of women in society and the ban on their employment, according to mothers who spoke to TOLOnews, has left the majority of families struggling economically.

“Sadly, mothers are really concerned about their daughters’ lack of access to an education in this situation. They don’t even consider that today is their day. Because they are worried about their children’s future, they could not celebrate it today,” said Parwin Sufi, a mother.

“The women who were educated and had jobs now are depressed because they have studied for 14 to 16 years, and they are still staying at home,” Noor Jan Ziaee, a mother told TOLOnews.

However, Mother’s Day in Afghanistan, which is observed on this day, can be seen in the thriving flower market and the congratulations messages on social media.

“It’s Mothers’ Day, people come in, they buy flowers for their mothers, and the sales are good,” said Abdul Waheed, a seller.

“Youth should make every effort to have good behavior with their parents. Mothers don’t expect their children to do anything more than this,” said Shir Mohammad, a buyer.

The Islamic Emirate has consistently reaffirmed its commitment to upholding women’s rights within the framework of Islamic Sharia and said that under the right circumstances it will let women work and pursue education.

Source: TOLO

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The United Nations on March 22 opened its first conference on water in almost half a century, aiming to address challenges concerning what UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described as the “world’s lifeblood.” Activists from Central Asia participating the conference expressed hope that the gathering can mark a transformative moment.

“We must do something. There is no option to not act now,” Meerim Seidakmatova, founder of the Young Environmentalists group at the Kyrgyz National Agrarian University, said during a panel discussion hosted by Columbia University’s Harriman Institute on March 20.

Cholpon Aitakhunova, another panel participant, described the conference as historic. “I really believe … this [the UN conference] is something more inclusive; this is something more participatory.”

Ahead of the conference, UN agencies released a report that warned of a looming global water crisis unless nations immediately address overconsumption and pollution. Water scarcity is projected to affect upwards of 2.4 billion people around the globe by 2050, more than double the number in 2016, the report states. The three-day UN gathering aims to finalize a Water Action Agenda that promotes climate resilience, expanded access to clean drinking water, transboundary cooperation and sustainable development.

Central Asia is among the regions most threatened by stressed water supplies. A recent study showed that dwindling resources are causing the rapid degradation of agricultural land in the region, costing the economies an estimated $6 billion. Land in Central Asia, the study added, was five times more productive in the 1980s than it is now. A different study said the region faces a drinking water crisis, noting that 80 percent of rural residents in Tajikistan lack access to regular supplies of clean drinking water.

Lyazzat Syrlybayeva, a Kazakhstani water management expert, said political will in Central Asia has been building to address transboundary issues. “In general, over the past few years regional water cooperation has been strengthening,” she said. “All countries in the region understand the importance of cooperation.”

Seidakmatova, Syrlybayeva, Aitakhunova and other female activists from the region were attending the UN conference under the auspices of Women in Water Management – Central Asia and Afghanistan, an initiative supported by a variety of international organizations, including the OSCE, the Stockholm International Water Institute and CAREC, the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program. The initiative enables young activists and experts from Central Asia to gain global experience and build connections, better positioning them to play active roles in decision-making and water governance in their home countries.

“Women are among the stakeholders that need to be involved,” said Aitakhunova, a research fellow at the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. She quipped that having at least one woman in the room during negotiations on any given water-related issue can raise the chances of a successful outcome. In Central Asia, “when women are present at the table,” men “tend to be less confrontational, and more cooperative, more diplomatic.”

Source : Eurasianet

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