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1 1 (August 14, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdbjp0001 and id is 1 raw text is: ..........E SE ,$r, , , mppm qq\ p\w -- , gn'a', go I as 11LIANJILiN, Updated August 14, 2020 Tajikistan Tajikistan is a landlocked country that borders four other states, including China and Afghanistan, and maintains close ties with Russia. Formerly a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan became independent in 1991. The country's long border with Afghanistan and the specter of spreading regional instability draw interest in Tajikistan from China, Russia, and the United States. Because Tajikistan depends heavily on remittances, primarily from Russia, the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID- 19) pandemic is causing significant economic strain. Tajikistan is also becoming increasingly dependent on China, which is Tajikistan's largest foreign creditor and is building up a security presence in the country. Tajikistan has faced incidents of violence attributed to the Islamic State (IS), but the government also uses the prospect of insurgent activity as a pretext for stifling opposition. President Emomali Rahmon and his family control the government and significant sectors of the economy, and corruption is pervasive. Government: Tajikistan is a presidential republic with power heavily concentrated in the executive. The president serves as both head of state and head of the government; the role and influence of the legislature is limited. President Rahmon has been in power since 1992. He was exempted from term limits in a 2016 constitutional referendum that also granted him and his family immunity from prosecution. Tajikistan under Rahmon has been termed a nepotistic kleptocracy, as a small group of families close to the president dominate the political and economic spheres. All six parties in parliament support Rahmon. As speaker of the parliament's upper chamber, the president's son, Rustam Emomali, is first in the line of presidential succession. No elections in Tajikistan have been deemed free and fair by observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Stifled Opposition: Shortly after Tajikistan became independent in 1991, the country fell into a five-year civil war (1992-1997) that claimed over 50,000 lives and displaced more than half a million people. The Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), which fought with anti-government forces, was legalized following the 1997 peace deal and adopted an agenda of democratization. It went on to become Tajikistan's second-largest party. In 2015, the government outlawed the IRPT and labelled it a terrorist organization in what the U.S. State Department characterized as steps to eliminate political opposition. Some of the party's leaders have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms, while others have fled the country. The March 2020 parliamentary elections, the first since the IRPT was banned, included candidates from one opposition party, but it failed to secure any seats. International analysts questioned the integrity of the electoral results. Figure I. Map of Tajikistan * *~ :: : : :: : : :: : : : :: : : :: : : : :: : : :: : : :: : : : ::: : :: : : : :: : : :: : : :: : : : :: : : :: : : : :: : : :: : :== = = = == = = == = = = == 5 x : : : : :: : : : :: : : :: : : : :: : : :: : : :: : : : :: : : :: : : : :: : :: : : :: : :: : : :: : :: : : :: : :: : : :: : :: : : :: : :: : : :: : : :: : :: : : :: : :: : : :: : :: : : :: : :: : : :: : :: : : :: : :: : : :: : : :: : :: : : :: : :: : : :: : :: : : :: : :: : : :: : :: : : :: : : ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::: ? :~ ~~iiiii : : k ' \ i ~x i. i ii:i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ; :: :::::; ? : :::; :K k : : : : ::::n4:::::::::::*:: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: AJ::::: .x I. K IS T A N ; :G K A4 : 'D us:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::bnbe:::::::::::::: N K U. M LESN - M L S S ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Source: Graphic created by CRS. Human Rights: According to the State Department, major human rights issues in Tajikistan include unlawful or arbitrary killings by prison authorities, torture, arbitrary detention, and a non-independent judiciary, as well as significant restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom of movement, and political participation. Media freedom in Tajikistan is severely curtailed, and the government routinely blocks access to certain websites and internet services. Reporters Without Borders ranked Tajikistan 161t out of 180 countries in its 2019 World Press Freedom Index, down from 149th in 2018. Some Members of Congress have expressed concerns about government pressure on independent media outlets, particularly the congressionally-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Tajikistan has faced criticism for engaging in transnational repression of government critics who have left the country. This includes targeting IRPT members and other dissidents through law enforcement mechanisms such as International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) wanted persons notices and pressuring family members who remain in Tajikistan. In response to such actions by Tajikistan and other countries, in 2019 Congress introduced the Transnational Repression Accountability and Prevention Act to counter politically-motivated abuse of INTERPOL. The government of Tajikistan restricts and strictly regulates religious practices in the country. An estimated 98% of the country's population is Muslim, primarily Hanafi Sunni. Authorities target outward signs of religiosity, harassing women who wear hijabs and men with beards. Minors are prohibited from participating in public religious activities. The government also places restrictions on minority religious groups, including Christian denominations. :::::

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