President Emomali Rahmon has sharply criticized judges for their poor performance and corruption within the judiciary.
His criticism came during an address to a meeting with judges following the inauguration of the new building of the Supreme Court in Dushanbe
The Tajik president’s official website says Emomali Rahmon noted that the highest number of complaints from the public relate to the judiciary’s inefficiency.
"Most complaints about judges, received by President’s Executive Office, involve delays in case hearings and dissatisfaction with court rulings," said Rahmon.
He noted that from 2020 to October 2024, President's Executive Office received 4,332 complaints regarding the performance of Tajik judges, some of which were repeated due to one-sided case handling.
He also mentioned that during this period, 2,320 citizen complaints about judicial conduct and actions of court staff were lodged and processed by the Supreme Court.
However, Rahmon did not clarify how these complaints were addressed or how many judges were punished as a result.
Crime in the judiciary
Rahmon expressed concern over crimes committed by judges, particularly corruption-related offenses, and provided statistics on the issue. He said that over the past decade (2014-2024), criminal proceedings have been instituted against 45 judges, their deputies, and court chairpersons, who were either convicted or removed from the judiciary.
In total, 107 judicial staff have committed crimes, most of which were related to corruption. Rahmon noted that the number of crimes committed by judges has been rising each year. For example, in just the first 10 months of 2024, 16 judicial staff were involved in 26 crimes.
Some judges overlook cases
The president also criticized other flaws within the system, including untimely delivery of court decisions to parties, annulment of rulings, disrespect toward citizens, and failure to meet deadlines for case hearings.
According to Rahmon, nearly 1,400 instances of failure to meet deadlines for case consideration were recorded from 2020 to 2023.
He also expressed concern that some judges fail to give cases the attention they deserve, often misjudging evidence.
Such an approach, he argued, leads to incorrect application of laws, unlawful rulings, and ultimately the annulment of decisions.
"As a result, between 2020 and 2023, and in the first nine months of 2024, over 1,700 decisions by lower courts were annulled," the President stated.
Over the first nine months of 2024, 1,008 criminal court rulings were either annulled or amended (709 acts were overturned due to prosecutors' appeals, and 299 were altered due to cassation and supervisory complaints).
He also mentioned that in 2023, 11 illegal court rulings were annulled following cassation complaints from prosecutors because of excessively lenient sentencing.
This is not the first time Rahmon has criticized judges and expressed concern over corruption within the judicial system. Five years ago, he also told judges that "corrupt actions not only diminish the prestige of the judiciary but also undermine public trust and respect for the state."
Tajikistan currently has over 400 judges, who are appointed and dismissed by presidential decree.
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