Support The Moscow Times!

Rights Groups Decry Russian Deportations of Central Asian Activists

Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon maintains close relations with Russian leader Vladimir Putin Sergei Bobylev/TASS

International rights groups raised alarm over recent transfers of activists to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan from Russia as top EU diplomat Josep Borrell met foreign ministers from five Central Asian states Monday.

Two activists residing outside tightly-controlled Tajikistan and Turkmenistan were reportedly deported back to their homelands from Russia, which maintains strong security ties with its fellow former Soviet republics, the rights groups said.  

Ahead of Borrell's visit to Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe, New York-headquartered Human Rights Watch and Vienna-based Freedom for Eurasia highlighted the cases of Azat Isakov of Turkmenistan and Izzat Amon from Tajikistan.

Freedom for Eurasia said on Sunday that Isakov was "abducted" by the Turkmen security services (MNB) with the assistance of Russia's FSB security service and police from his home in Russia on October 20, 2021.

"Before vanishing without a trace, he informed his colleague Chemen Ore on Telegram in writing: 'Police are here. If they find me, they will take me. I am hiding'. He was not heard from since that day," the group said.

Freedom for Eurasia urged Brussels "to use [the ministerial meeting] to press the Turkmen government to release all political prisoners."

Human Rights Watch called this month for the immediate release of Isakov who "is at dire risk of torture and other abuses" in Turkmenistan, after publicly criticizing the government, which tolerates no opposition.

In another case, Amon, who campaigned for the rights of Tajik migrants living in Russia, was "forcibly disappeared in Moscow in March 2021 and unlawfully transferred to Tajikistan," Human Rights Watch researcher Syinat Sultanalieva told AFP on Monday.

"The EU should take the opportunity this week to put the focus on Tajikistan's rights crackdown and call for (the) release of political prisoners," Sultanalieva said in written remarks.

Amon's lawyer Saiburhon Sharifov said last month that Amon was sentenced to nine years in prison on fraud charges in Tajikistan, which has not officially confirmed his arrest. 

Forcible transfers of Central Asian activists from Russia have grown more common in recent years. 

Another Tajik activist, Sharofiddin Gadoev, was forcibly taken to Tajikistan from Russia in 2019, only to be allowed to return to his home in the Netherlands two weeks later amid strong international criticism.  

Borrell did not immediately reference human rights in his tweets on the Monday ministerial meeting. 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more