Tajikistan: Distinguished Journalist Ulfatkhonim Mamadshoeva Sentenced to 25 Years In Prison
Location: Tajikistan
Date: August 16, 2022
*This report is updated on September 21, 2022.
Tajik court sentenced freelance journalist and human rights activist Ulfatkhonim Mamadshoeva to 25 years in prison. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) stands in solidarity with Ulfatkhonim. We call for the immediate release of Ulfatkhonim and urge authorities to drop all charges against her.
Ulfatkhonim Mamadshoeva is a renowned independent journalist and human rights defender in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. She is a representative of the indigenous Pamiri minority group, who has collaborated with prominent independent media outlets, such as “Ferghana”. Mamadshoeva founded an NGO, "Nomus va Insof", where she has focused on children’s and women’s rights.
On May 18, the State Committee of National Security (SCNS) officers arrested Ulfatkhonim from her home in the capital, Dushanbe. Ulfatkhonim is the ex-wife of retired Major General Kholbash Kholbashov, who is facing prosecutors' demands for a life sentence for his alleged role in organizing protests in the eastern Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO). The exact charges have been pointed against Ulfatkhonim and another journalist, Khushruz Jumayev, who was arrested nearly at the same time as his colleague.
The national security officers searched her home according to news reports. One day before the arrest, the Interior Ministry of Tajikistan published a statement accusing Ulfatkhonim and two influential Pamiri figures of organizing an "illegal demonstration" in Khorog, but Ulfatkhonim told RFE/RL that day that she had nothing to do with the anti-government protests.
On May 19, officers with the Interior Ministry's Department for Combating Organized Crime (DCOC) in Dushanbe arrested Khushruz Jumayev. Ulfatkhonim has collaborated with Jumayev on several local cultural, political, and media projects. The Tajik authorities launched an "anti-terrorist operation" to suppress protests in Gorno-Badakhshan, home to many members of the Pamiri minority to which both journalists belong.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the cases against both journalists were classified secret and the defenders' lawyers were made to sign nondisclosure agreements.
In a coerced confession, Ulfatkhonim and her detained ex-husband appeared on Tajik state television on May 24, admitting to organizing the insurrection in Gorno-Badakhshan in cooperation with local leaders and opposition politicians. The film entitled “Failure of the Conspiracy” (“Shikasti Fitna”) was produced by a state-owned film company to show that an unspecified Western country was involved in organizing the unrest.
After approximately two months of detention, on July 15, a representative of the prosecutor general of Tajikistan announced that Ulfatkhonim faced charges of leading "part of a criminal group".
On August 16, Tajik prosecutors asked to convict and sentence Ulfatkhonim to 25 years in prison and a life sentence for her ex-husband. In addition to the main charge against them, they faced several other charges: publicly calling for violent change to Tajikistan's constitutional order, organizing a criminal group, murder, attempted murder, and terrorism. The trial began behind closed doors on August 3; it was held on the premises of the State Committee for National Security's detention center in Dushanbe, according to sources close to law enforcement in Dushanbe told RFE/RL.
On September 21, the verdict and sentence were pronounced for both convictions marking another step backwards for Pamiri minority rights and a step towards potential conflict in the region.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) stands in solidarity with Ulfatkhonim Mamadshoeva; We ask the Tajikistan authorities to immediately release and drop all charges against her, Jumayev and other journalists currently under arrest or investigation. CFWIJ condemns the harassment of journalists and opposition to silence critical voices. We call authorities to allow journalists to report freely.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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