On June 5, 2024, Freedom Now and the international law firm Dechert LLP filed a petition with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of journalist Mamadsulton Mavlonazarov. The petition alleges that Tajikistan’s detention of Mavlonazarov infringes on his fundamental right to freedom of expression, in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“Mamadsulton Mavlonazarov has dedicated his life to journalism. Yet due to his criticism of the government he once served he now sits in prison, a victim of the regime’s attempts to cover-up its human rights abuses in the Gorno-Badakhshan region,” said Freedom Now Legal Officer Adam Lhedmat. “We are confident that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention will conclude that Mamadsulton’s fundamental human rights have been violated and that he should be released from detention.”
Mamadsulton Mavlonazarov began his journalism career in the 1970s, primarily working at government-run new agencies. He eventually rose to the rank of colonel in the State Committee for National Security (SCNS).
After Mavlonazarov retired from his government position, he became an independent journalist. His reporting focused on the Tajikistani government, including the SCNS, of which he was critical. In 2018, pro-government media publicly accused Mavlonazarov of spreading propaganda and destructive ideas. In February 2022, shortly before his arrest, Mavlonazarov was visited at his home by security officials and warned that if he did not curtail his criticisms about the government, his situation would “deteriorate.”
Despite these attempts at intimidation, Mavlonazarov continued his reporting. As the government sharply increased its counter-terrorism operations in the Gorno-Badakhshan region in the spring of 2022, Mavlonazarov continued to publish on social media. His posts reported on the Gorno-Badakhshan protests where he criticized the government’s violent crackdown.
Mavlonazarov was arrested in the early morning hours of June 16, 2022. Arresting authorities did not specify the grounds for arrest and did not inform Mavlonazarov’s family of where he was being taken. For three days government officials denied he was in custody after which Mavlonazarov’s family was finally informed that he was held in detention.
Mavlonazarov’s trial began in September 2022 where he was first indicted on two charges – calling for changing the constitutional system and “insulting a representative of the authorities.” Both charges related to posts that he made on his public Facebook page. Mavlonazarov was convicted on both counts less than a week after the trial began and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison.
Authorities continue to restrict Mavlonazarov’s access to his family while he is in detention. Moreover, he has faced multiple health issues, including severe swelling of his legs and kidney problems. Due to his health issues, he has been hospitalized on several occasions.