Authorities in Tajikistan must take urgent steps to ensure that independent journalist, Daler Sharifov, who is currently being held in pre-trial detention in the State Committee for National Security (SCNS), is protected from torture and other ill-treatment and released, Amnesty International, International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) said in a statement released on October 11.

”Tajikistan is in the midst of a human rights crisis where the authorities have stifled all opposition and dissent – Daler Sharifov is one of the very few independent journalists remaining inside the country, and these charges against him demonstrate the lack of respect for freedom of expression in Tajikistan”, said Bjørn Engesland, Secretary General of the NHC.

According to the statement, Tajikistan has seen a marked deterioration in respect for the right to freedom of expression, including the curtailment of media freedom, silencing of government criticism, clamping down on the political opposition and limiting the space for civil society activism since 2015.  

“We call on the Tajikistani authorities to guarantee Daler Sharifov’s safety, drop the charges against him and release him immediately. They must also ensure that he can freely exercise his right to freedom of expression”, said Brigitte Dufour, Director of IPHR.

Recall, Daler Sharifov was summoned for questioning to the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) office in Dushanbe’s Shohmansour district on January 28 and he has not been seen since.

On January 29, Daler Sharifov was moved from the SCNS office in Dushanbe’s Shohmansour district to the SCNS head office, Ms. Shoira Davlatova, the head the Dushanbe-based Independent Center for Human Rights Protection, told Asia-Plus in an interview.  

One of relatives of Daler Sharifov told Asia-Plus on January 29 that security officers had conducted a search of Sharifov’s home during which they confiscated several books in Tajik, Russian and Arabic languages.  “They said that they will check out the books and will release him after questioning,” the relative said.  

On January 30, a court in Dushanbe’s Ismoili Somoni district ruled that the journalist should remain in pre-trial custody for at least two months.

In a statement released on February 1, the Prosecutor-General’s Office of Tajikistan noted that Daler Sharifov is suspected of inciting religious enmity. 

The statement, in particular, notes that during 2013-2019, a 32-year-old journalist Dalerjon Sharifov, a resident of the village of Niyogon in the Burun jamoat, which is subordinate to Vahdat Township, published more than 200 articles and commentaries of extremist nature aimed at inciting religious enmity in social networks.

In June 2019, Daler Sharifov published 100 copies of an unidentified text allegedly affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood movement in an underground printing house, according to the statement. 

“In this connection, criminal proceedings were instituted against Sharifov under the provisions of Article 189 (1) – inciting racial, ethnic, regional or religious enmity,” the statement said.

The journalist could face up to five years in prison if found guilty of charges produced against him.  The journalist’s father, Abdumannon Sharifov, denied the charges and said they were retaliation for his son’s writing, according to Fergana news agency.

Daler Sharifov had previously worked with Tajik national TV channel Safina as author and host of the program “Mushoirat” (Communicating).     

According Eurasianet, Daler Sharifov most recently worked for the independent news website Ozodagon, which was forced to close shop in 2019.  Most of the staff at the newspaper, including its founder Zafar Sufi, have reportedly sought asylum in Europe.  After Ozodagon folded, Sharifov remained in Dushanbe and continued to work freelance, writing about government campaigns to pressure women into refraining from wearing hijabs and other rights violations, according to Eurasianet.