Tajikistan's Descent Into Despotism

Tajikistan has been acknowledged by Freedom House as one of the worst human rights violators for years, but 2025 has seen Tajik authorities take repression to new levels. Eight former government officials and political opposition figures were convicted at a closed-door trial of plotting a coup and given lengthy prison sentences. In addition, a journalist was convicted of treason for reporting on Tajik citizens’ opinions on Chinese influence in their country, and the OSCE said it would not observe Tajikistan’s March 2 parliamentary elections because Tajik authorities failed to give assurances of accreditation. Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss events in Tajikistan in early 2025 are guests Muhamadjon Kabirov, editor at Azda.tv, a media outlet run by exile Tajik journalists; Edward Lemon, the president of the Washington-based Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs; and Steve Swerdlow, a rights lawyer who is currently an associate professor at the University of Southern California.