National Alliance of Tajikistan (NAT) expresses its deepest regret that the current leadership of the country has not abandoned the psychology of war, hostility, hatred and repression against dissidents and has again betrayed the national agreement, the Peace Agreement of 1997, the spirit of democracy, international obligations and the Constitution of Tajikistan itself.

The decision of the Supreme Court of Tajikistan dated 15 August 2019 to recognize the National Alliance of Tajikistan as a terrorist organization is extremely surprising because it does not withstand political and legal criticism.

The Supreme Court therefore demonstrated that recognizing the IRPT as a terroristic organization and Group 24 as an extremist organization, likewise imprisoning Mahmadali Hayitov and other IRPT board members, founder of “New Tajikistan” party Zayd Saidov and the lawyer Buzurgmehr Yorov, is inconsistent and politically motivated.

We consider the Supreme Court’s decision regarding NAT to be unconstitutional. The Supreme Court violated at least 16 articles of the Constitution, including articles: on the right of citizens to political and ideological pluralism and on the prohibition of usurpation of power (Article 6, 8), on the primacy of international law (Article 10), on the right to judicial protection by a competent, independent, impartial court (Article 19), on the right to public and political unification (Article 28), on the right to freedom of speech (Article 30), — and articles on the independence of courts and judges, their subordination only to the Constitution and on prohibition of interference in their activities (Article 84, Article 87).

NAT has to state with regret that not only it wasn’t represented by its lawyer at the “trial” in its case, but wasn’t even notified of it before the decision was made.

At the same time, the Constitution of Tajikistan in article 88 obliges the court to ensure competitiveness and equality for parties in open court.

NAT believes that the Tajik leadership has clearly and unambiguously shown to the whole world that speculation on the fight against terrorism has become for the authorities a means of political blackmail of its strategic partners and the international community. In addition, the funds allocated to Tajikistan to combat terrorism are spent by the authorities as well for repressions against dissenters and political opponents.

While we are accused of terrorism, we and our supporters are becoming victims not only of repressive bodies, but also of terrorist groups. The barbaric assassination of the leaders and supporters of the IRPT in the colony in Vahdat is nothing but the result of sowing hatred and pitting the terrorists against opposition by the head of state directly.

In this regard, NAT once again considers it necessary to emphasize that it is a convinced and persistent supporter of non-violent struggle, strictly periodic transition of power, pluralism of opinions, freedom of the press, free, fair and competitive elections, and the construction of a truly democratic secular and legal state in Tajikistan.

National Alliance of Tajikistan

15.10.2019