Human rights in Tajikistan

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Tajikistan
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Tajikistan

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Human rights in Tajikistan remain poor. Political opposition, religious freedoms and the press are heavily restricted.

The approach of the 2005 parliamentary elections brought increased closures of independent and opposition newspapers and attacks on journalists. In 2003 the government blocked access to the only Internet website run by the political opposition. Constitutional guarantees of a fair trial are not always observed, and torture often is used against individuals accused of crimes. Pretrial detention often is lengthy, and prosecutors control court proceedings. Prisons are overcrowded, and the incidence of tuberculosis and malnutrition is high among inmates. Violence against women is frequent, and Tajikistan is a source and transit point for trafficking in women.

[edit] Name change law

In 2007, Tajikstan's president, Emomali Rakhmon stated that the Slavic "-ov" ending must be dropped for all babies born to Tajik parents. The policy comes in the context of recent policies intended to remove vestiges of Soviet/Russian influence, while laws on this topic have existed since 1989. Some Tajiks have expressed confusion or opposition at the denial of the freedom to choose a name for one's child.[1]

[edit] Freedom of religion

Some activities of religious groups have been restricted by the requirement for registration with the State Committee on Religious Affairs. Islamic pilgrimages are restricted, and proselytizing groups such as the Jehovah's Witnesses have suffered occasional persecution.^{[citation needed]}