The Tajik government takes little action to investigate or prosecute domestic violence cases and is doing far too little to help survivors, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on 19 September. Despite progress in some areas, Tajik law does not criminalize domestic violence and women who experience abuse lack adequate protection and access to shelter and other services.
“‘Violence with Every Step’: Weak State Response to Domestic Violence in Tajikistan,” documents obstacles to help or justice for domestic abuse survivors. Despite laws that guarantee survivors’ rights to protection and social services, Human Rights Watch found ongoing gaps in police and judicial responses to domestic violence, including refusing to investigate complaints, failing to issue or enforce protection orders, and treating domestic violence as a minor offense. Human Rights Watch also released a video with domestic violence survivors describing the hurdles they faced when trying to get protection~© 2019 Human Rights Watch