Around 130 women-mothers from Tajikistan have sent an appeal to President Emomali Rahmon, requesting leniency for journalist Rukhshona Hakimova, who has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

The signatories express deep concern, primarily because Rukhshona’s two young daughters have been left without their mother at home.  The younger child was still being breastfed.

"This verdict has shaken us to the core, but most of all, it has shattered the lives of her two tiny daughters – Shahnoura and Shukrona – who, in an instant, lost the most precious thing a child can have: a mother’s love, warmth, and care.

Ten-month-old Shukrona has lost not only her mother’s embrace but also her mother’s milk, which is not just nourishment but the very essence of the bond between mother and child.  We cannot begin to imagine the pain of these children, who cannot yet speak but are already experiencing a cruel emptiness that nothing and no one can fill," the appeal states.

The signatories emphasize that they are only asking for a reduction in the sentence.

"We appeal to you to facilitate the application of the legal mechanisms of humanity and mitigation of punishment for Rukhshona Hakimova, replacing her sentence with one that does not involve imprisonment.  We believe that there are legal ways to take her motherhood into account and to ensure that her two young children are not left without maternal care," the letter reads.

As it had been reported earlier, the Supreme Court of Tajikistan sentenced Rukhshona Hakimova, a 31-year-old independent journalist who has worked for a variety of media outlets, to eight years in prison on February 5.  The sentence followed her conviction on charges of aiding in the crime of treason using official position (Article 305, Part 2).

The prosecutor had initially sought a 17-year sentence.  Until the verdict, Hakimova remained free due to having two small children, but she was arrested in the courtroom immediately after the sentence was announced.

The charge of treason against Hakimova stems from a public survey she conducted on China's influence on Tajikistan as part of her work as a reporter last year.  Hakimova’s case may be linked to her survey on “China’s Influence on Tajikistan", which was previously answered by several individuals convicted in the "coup plot" case, including Saidjafar Usmonzoda, former head of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan, sentenced to 27 years in prison, and Shokirjon Hakimov, sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Rukhshona Hakimova is an independent journalist and mother of two small children.  Rukhshona Hakimova is the niece of Shokirjon Hakimov, lawyer and the Frist Deputy Chairman of the Social-Democratic Party of Tajikistan (SDPT).   He was sentenced on 18 years in prison

Shokirjon Hakimov was charged with incitement of social, racial, national, regional, or religious hatred (Article 189, Part 2) and treason using official position (Article 305, Part 1, item "v").

International human rights organizations have called for immediate and unconditional release of independent journalist Rukhshona Hakimova.

The Reporters without Borders (RSF) noted in its statement released on February 28 that the investigation into Rukhshona Hakimova’s case was marred by irregularities, and her trial was unfair.  “Her arbitrary and scandalous conviction, with an alarmingly heavy sentence, illustrates the Tajik authorities’ determination to silence all independent voices ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 2,” the statement says, adding that RSF supports the journalist, refutes the charge against her, and calls on the prosecutor to grant her immediate release,

A statement released by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders on March 3, in particular, says Ms. Hakimova's prosecution, criminalization, and arbitrary detention stem from her professional work, specifically her involvement in conducting a politically sensitive poll about China’s influence in Tajikistan for the Kyrgyz NGO Barometer.  This survey reportedly included interviews with prominent political figures “who are part of the opposition and who have also faced increasing pressure from the Tajik authorities.”