The authoritarian regime of President Emomali Rahmon, who has ruled since 1992, severely restricts political rights and civil liberties. The political opposition and independent media have been devastated by a sustained campaign of repression, and the government exerts tight control over religious expression and activity. Wealth and authority are concentrated in the hands of Rahmon and his family.

• Tens of thousands of Tajikistani migrant workers returned home or were deported from Russia in the months after a March terrorist attack at a concert hall in Moscow that killed nearly 150 people. The attack was claimed by an Afghanistan-based terrorist group, Islamic State Khorasan; Russian authorities attributed it to Tajikistani migrant workers and attempted to link them to Ukraine. The ensuing crackdown on migrants in Russia prompted many to leave, and those who remained faced increasing pressure to enlist in the Russian military.
• In July, Tajikistani and Kyrgyzstani delegations reported progress on the delimitation of their shared border, stating that they had reached tentative agreement on 94 percent of the total; the two sides said in December that the delimitation talks were complete, but a public release and formal approval of the final documents was still required. The negotiations were aimed at ending roughly three years of military tensions and sporadic conflict over the disputed border.
• Legislation adopted by the parliament in May and signed by the president in June banned the import, sale, and wearing of clothes that are deemed to conflict with “national culture.” Violations would be punishable by fines. The law also imposed restrictions on certain religious, cultural, and family celebrations.
• Independent journalists continued to face persecution during the year. For example, Ahmad Ibrohim, editor in chief of the newspaper Payk, was arrested August on dubious charges of bribery, extortion, and extremism. The outcome of a closed-door trial was pending at year’s end.
• Tajikistani authorities persisted in their extensive efforts to detain and punish political dissidents who had sought refuge abroad. Among other cases, in October a court in Dushanbe sentenced two leaders of the opposition movement Group 24, Suhrob Zafar and Nasimjon Sharifov, to 30 and 20 years in prison, respectively. Both were forcibly disappeared in Turkey earlier in the year, emerging later in state custody in Dushanbe amid reports of torture. In November, another prominent Group 24 activist, Dilmurod Ergashev, was deported from Germany despite his applications for asylum; he attempted to commit suicide in German custody but was deported soon thereafter. Ergashev was detained upon arrival in Dushanbe.

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For additional background information, see last year’s full report.