Tajik Authorities Called Out For Enforced Disappearances, Transnational Repression

The Tajik government is now, arguably, the most repressive in Central Asia. Tajik authorities punish the relatives of opposition figures, critics, activists, and journalists who flee to escape persecution. In some cases, fleeing Tajikistan does not ensure safety. A new report from Crude Accountability details how Tajik authorities secure the forcible repatriation of perceived opponents, who then vanish in prison. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss the Tajik government’s tactics of repression are guests Steve Swerdlow, a rights lawyer currently teaching the practice of human rights at the University of Southern California and the author of the Crude Accountability report; and Bahtiyor Safarov, founder of the U.S.-based firm Central Asia Consulting, who is originally from eastern Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan region.