On January 18th, 2023, Germany deported Abdullohi Shamsiddin to Tajikistan, where he was subject to enforced disappearance and then reportedly held in solitary confinement by the State Committee for National Security. He is targeted because of his relationship with one of the leaders of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRPT). On March 29th, 2023, a court in Dushanbe reportedly convicted Mr. Shamsiddin on charges of “public calls for the violent change of the constitutional order of the Republic of Tajikistan” under Article 307 of the Penal Code and sentenced him to seven years in prison. The authorities have not officially confirmed the whereabouts of Mr. Shamsiddin or the court verdict. He remains at risk of torture and other ill-treatment.
TAKE ACTION:
- Please take action as-soon-as possible. This Urgent Action expires on June 6, 2023.
- Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
- Click here to let us know the actions you took on Urgent Action 25.23. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Ambassador Farhod Salim
Embassy of Tajikistan
2118 Kalorama Rd. NW,
Washington DC 20008
Phone: 202 265 2800 I Fax: 202 986 5906
Twitter:
@FarhodSalim
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Mr President,
Tajikistani national, Abdullohi Shamsiddin, was reportedly apprehended by members of the State Committee for National Security upon arrival in Dushanbe on 19 January 2023, after being deported from Germany where he was seeking asylum. I am concerned by reports that upon his arrival he was subject to enforced disappearance and then reportedly held in solitary confinement. He was convicted reportedly on 29 March for exercising his right to freedom of expression and sentenced to seven years in prison after an apparently unfair trial. According to reports from people present at the trial, the only evidence provided was social media “likes” and photos on his mobile phone; media reported that Abdullohi Shamsiddin’s participation in a protest event and ‘likes’ under social media posts had featured prominently in the court process. The authorities have neither confirmed the whereabouts of Abdullohi Shamsiddin nor the court verdict.
Amnesty International believes that Abdullohi Shamsiddin has been targeted for his links with a senior member of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan, which the authorities of Tajikistan arbitrarily banned in 2015.
I urge you to take all necessary steps to disclose immediately Abdullohi Shamsiddin’s whereabouts and ensure that he is not subjected to torture or other ill-treatment and is able to communicate with his family members.
Abdullohi Shamsiddin must be immediately released, unless he is reasonably suspected of a recognizable criminal offence and tried in line with international standards, including the fair trial rights to a public hearing and access to a lawyer of choice.
Yours sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
