Jan 10, 2022

USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Tajikistan

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:

Tajikistan Country Update – Religious freedom conditions continue to deteriorate in Tajikistan, as developments in neighboring Afghanistan reinforce the intersection between authoritarianism and security concerns. For over a decade, the Tajik government heavily regulated what it deemed as acceptable Islamic practice, subordinating Muslim institutions to the regime and imprisoning independent clerics, political opponents, and secular critics as “extremists” and “terrorists.” The imminent challenge posed by the Taliban’s rapid takeover in Afghanistan threatens to accelerate this trend and diminishes the potential for Tajikistan to reevaluate religious freedom restrictions. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief recently cancelled a planned trip to Tajikistan the country after failing to receive the promised official invitation, dampening hopes that Tajikistan country might be on the cusp of change. This report details ongoing violations of religious freedom and explains how the shifting geopolitical landscape in the region diminishes the prospect of significant reform.

In its 2021 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State continue to designate Tajikistan as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations. Religious freedom conditions in Tajikistan were also discussed an episode of the USCIRF Spotlight podcast in September 2021.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].

Additional Name(s): Ahsan Muzaffar oglu Nuruzade

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Azerbaijan

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Shi'a

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Appeal: Rejected

Sentence: 7 Years' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: October/6/2017

Date of Sentencing: March/6/2018

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Religious Association

Nature of Charges: Drug Trafficking & Illicit Drug Use

Ahsan Nuruzade

Extra Bio Info:

Ahsan Nuruzade is imprisoned for his religious association.

On October 6, 2017, two plainclothes officers abducted Nuruzade, a member of the unregistered Muslim Unity Movement (MUM) organization, near his home as he was heading to attend the Nardaran trial. 

On October 9, 2017, Judge Sabuhi Huseynov of Baku Grave Crimes Court sentenced Nuruzade to seven years' imprisonment for "illegally purchasing or storing with a view of selling, manufacturing, processing, transporting, transferring or selling of narcotics or psychotropic substances in large amount" (Art. 234 ACC).

This is Nuruzade's third detention related to his religious association.

Publicly Available Information:

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: India

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Date of Detainment: January/28/2020

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Protesting Religious Freedom Conditions Religious Identity

Nature of Charges: Criminal Premeditation & Conspiracy Hate Speech Illicit Financing Murder & Attempted Murder Public Disorder Terrorism Treason & Sedition

Sharjeel Imam

Extra Bio Info:

Sharjeel Imam is detained for his religious freedom advocacy.

In January 2020, authorities arrested Imam, a Muslim student activist, for participating in peaceful protests opposing the religious discriminatory Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) in December 2019 and January 2020. Authorities accused him of inciting communal violence through speeches made at the protests. In August 2020, authorities charged him in first information report (FIR) 59/2020 with rioting with a deadly weapon, murder, attempted murder, sedition, "promoting enmity on grounds of religion," unlawful activities, terrorist acts, raising funds for terrorist acts, and conspiracy (Secs. 124A, 148, 153A, 302, 307 IPC; 13, 16, 17, 18 UAPA).

Publicly Available Information:
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