Representatives of civil society of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) have applied to President Emomali Rahmon asking him to take the situation in the region under his personal control. 

In their appeal, they, in particular, note that the law enforcement authorities of the region try to disrupt peace and stability in the region and call on the head of state to take situation under in GBAO his personal control.  

In the video message posted on Youtube on January 16, they note that the purpose of the appeal is to maintain peace and stability in the region and in the country.  

According to them, local authorities and law enforcement agencies, speculating on the feelings of the population, provoke people, which can lead to the undermining of peace and stability.  

GBAO civil society activists say that speaking at meetings that are being held practically every day, senior representatives of local authorities instill fear in the population and make people emotional.  Heads of regional government bodies reportedly appear on local television and make provocative statements.    

As it had been reported earlier, members of Group 44 last month applied Rustam Emomali, the Speaker of the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament), asking him to take the situation in Khorog under his personal control and support them in maintaining peace and stability in the region.

The video message was posted on Pamir Daily News’ website on the evening of December 19.  Their appeal to Majlisi Milli speaker has gone unanswered. 

On December 29, GBAO civil society activists requested 30 minutes of airtime on regional TV station TV Badakhshon for their statement.

“In view of the current situation in GBAO, the lack of access to Internet in the region and the emergence of all kinds of rumors in society, we, representatives of civil society, consider it important to speak on TV and give our opinion on the current situation, and call on residents not to believe any rumors and lead a normal life,” Khujamri Pirmamadov, a spokesman for Group 44, told Asia-Plus in an interview by phone December 30.  

This request of Group 44 also went unanswered.

Group 44 was set up from among the protesters in Khorog, the capital of GBAO, on November 28 to monitor the implementation of agreements reached between the protesters and GBAO’s government.  Six members of Group 44 joined the investigation team, which is investigating the circumstances of the death of the resident of Roshtqala district Gulbiddin Ziyobekov.

Recall, several thousand people participated in the four-day protest rally in the central square of Khorog following the killing of Gulbiddin Ziyobekov by law enforcement authorities.  It ended on the evening of November 28, after the protesters and the authorities reached the agreement.  The authorities agreed to refrain from any kind of persecution of the protesters, to conduct a quick, impartial, and effective investigation into the deaths of Gulbiddin Ziyobekov, Gulnazar Murodbekov, and Tutisho Amirshoev, to restore Internet access in GBAO and terminate the permanent checkpoints in the city.

However, the authorities have not yet fulfilled any of the terms of the agreement reached between them and protesters on November 28.