Irregularities have been reported from the October 11 presidential election in Tajikistan. Talking to an RFE/RL correspondent in the northern city of Khujand, two voters openly said that they had cast more than one ballot. Both women claimed to have voted on behalf of other family members, a practice that is unlawful in Tajikistan
Following weeks of protests, authorities in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, or GBAO, agreed this week to give up on their attempt to jail two young men on suspicion of association with an accused drug smuggler and have, instead, decided to fine them less than $20 apiece.
Residents of an apartment block in the northern Tajik city of Khujand say a giant banner of the country’s authoritarian president, Emomali Rahmon, has been blocking their view — and light — for a year. They say local authorities are too fearful of the president to do anything about it
There have been apparent instances of voting irregularities in parliamentary elections in Tajikistan. In one instance, an RFE/RL correspondent saw a single voter cast 22 ballots during voting on March 1. President Emomali Rahmon’s ruling party has been declared the overwhelming winner, while the only opposition party failed to win a single seat
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and his Kyrgyz counterpart, Sooronbai Jeenbekov, have met in the Tajik exclave of Vorukh to try and ease border tensions. Violence erupted there on July 22 after Tajiks reportedly raised their national flags on the road which connects the Vorukh exclave with the main territory of Tajikistan