In recent months, Tajik activists and members of the opposition have appealed to the international community to take action to protect human rights in the country. They feel that Europe is not doing enough, neither for the persecuted communities in Tajikistan nor for refugees in their own countries.

From 26 September to 6 October this year, a meeting of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (a body set up by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe OSCE) was held in Warsaw, at which the question of human rights in Tajikistan was discussed.

As reported by Pamir Daily, Tajikistan sent no official delegation; only Tajik opposition activists and journalists attended.

The main themes discussed were the imprisonment of journalists and the atrocities committed during the events of last May in Gorno-Badakhshan. This province, covering half of the territory of Tajikistan, is the scene of open conflict between the inhabitants and the central government. Human rights activists consider that Europe has the means to react but is too passive in the face of repression and “ethnic cleansing”.

Activists say international reaction is disappointing

After expressing their concern and sharing eye-witness accounts of the current repression in Tajikistan, the activists demanded that Europe not only end international assistance to the country, but implement sanctions against the regime of Emomali Rahmon.

Independent journalist Houmaïra Bakhtiyar claimed in the Majlis Podcast, a popular programme produced by the US-sponsored Radio Free Europe, that because Tajikistan depends heavily on foreign aid, sanctions would be effective. International pressure may, indeed, be the only means of preventing a worsening of the situation, since the opposition has been practically reduced to silence in the country.

Read more on Novastan: Five year ban on Islamic opposition in Tajikistan

After the violent suppression of demonstrations in the Pamirs in May this year, the European response was insufficient. The European Union and the Embassies of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the USA published a joint statement, that condemned the repression, but the Tajik government never replied and no further action was taken by the international community.

As Moukhiddine Kabiri, leader of the Islamic Renaissance Party, points out in the same article in Pamir Daily, “if these events had happened in any other country, the reaction would have been totally different.”

Europe appeals to the Tajik government to respect Human Rights

Peter Stano, spokesperson of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, reaffirmed to Novastan that the EU was focused on the targeted repression of journalists and human rights activists. The EU had appealed to the Tajik government to respect its own laws, human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular in relation to the May events during which peaceful demonstrators were killed and members of Pamiri civil society were arrested.

The EU had demanded that the Tajik government grant the International Committee of the Red Cross access to GBAO to carry out an independent inquiry into the May killings.

Read more on Novastan: Tajikistan – dozens killed in Gorno-Badakhshan

According to Peter Stano, “In December, at the next Tajik-European dialogue on human rights and the General System of Preferences (GSP+), the EU will raise these issues and remind the Tajik government that human rights and fundamental freedoms, of assembly, of peaceful demonstration and freedom of opinion and the press, are essential parts of the   negotiation to obtain EU support for GSP+ and for strengthening the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement.”

Political opponents have difficulty finding refuge in Europe

Europe is not setting a good example when it comes to the protection of refugees. According to lawyer Leïla Nazgoul Seïytbek, in an issue of Majlis Podcast, most refugees coming to Europe from Central Asia are political refugees. As far as Tajik citizens are concerned, this is due to the fact that Russia, geographically more accessible, is no longer a safe country.

As Ozodi, the Tajik service of Radio Free Europe, has explained, the Russian police is collaborating with the Tajik authorities in the arrest of dissidents. Those most at risk must find illegal ways of getting to Western Europe, with most heading to Germany.

However, once in Europe, Tajik citizens at risk of imprisonment in their own country have difficulty obtaining refugee status. Many do not have access to lawyers and to the necessary information; they are also unaware of the organisations that could help them.

Difficult to obtain refugee status

As Christian Riedle, responsible for asylum, migration and human rights in Austria, explains, it can take months or even years for the authorities to take the relevant decisions. In the case of Central Asian refugees, the final decisions may be biased due to lack of understanding of the situation by officials, who are unaware of the risks to which these persons are exposed.

Leïla Nazgoul Seïytbek notes a flagrant difference in the way various refugees are treated. Human rights activists complain about double standards for treatment of Ukrainians and Central Asians, even those who may initially have found refuge in Ukraine and had to move on to Western Europe after the beginning of hostilities.

Read more on Novastan: Tajikistan – dead and injured during protests in Gorno-Badakhshan

Obtaining refugee status requires proof of threats to safety in the country of origin, which is not always easy. Radio Ozodi cites a young man who participated in the November demonstrations in Khorog, and subsequently escaped to Germany.

“In my case, I had no advance warning: an official called my parents after the demonstrations. Some friends told me that my name was on a black list, but it will not be easy to prove this to the German authorities,” he explained.

Accusations of extremism prejudice the decision-making

Again according to Leïla Nazgoul Seïytbek, migrants may be refused refugee status because the Tajik government accuses them of terrorism or extremism. European authorities are not necessarily aware of the political situation in Tajikistan and do not know that these accusations are a ploy used for political purposes with no basis in fact.

In other words, these matters are not dealt with on the basis of presumption of innocence. If the Tajik government demands the extradition of one of its citizens by alleging extremism, European countries comply in the absence of contrary documentary evidence.

Read more on Novastan: Terrorist threats in Central Asia: facts or fiction?

The case of a Pamiri recently expelled from Austria and condemned to a long sentence in Tajikstan demonstrates that European judges lack a correct appreciation of the situation; the accusations of terrorism turned out to be false and were based on incorrect information from the Tajik government.

Activists extradited despite dangers faced

Even though Interpol undertakes inquiries that frequently determine the innocence of citizens that Tajikistan accuses of terrorism, mistakes can happen. According to Christian Riedle, it is difficult to tell whether Interpol really takes account of the fact that the accusations emanate from a state that makes accusations as part of a process of repression.

Read more on Novastan: Kyrgyz journalist Ulugbek Babakoulov finds refuge in France

Errors, whether emanating from Interpol or national agencies, are not, however, infrequent. Some activists from Central Asia who had obtained refugee status in Ukraine fled to Poland, where the Ukrainian positive decision was not upheld. Leïla Nazgoul Seïytbek reports tht there are dozens of refugees, separated from their children, in preventive detention in Poland.

She claims that the authorities responsible for granting asylum do not learn from their mistakes, and that letters from human rights organisations are ignored.

The struggle against terrorism is used as a pretext by the Tajik President

The Tajik news agency Asia-Plus reported that at a conference on co-operation against terrorism, held in the capital Dushanbe on 18 and 19 October this year, President Emomali Rahmon made a direct appeal to European countries not to grant refugee status to persons accused of terrorism. He claimed that “terrorists and extremists misuse refugee status and abuse the confidence of developed countries.”

Opposition parties that are not considered dangerous in Europe have been declared by Tajikistan as terrorist organisations.

In Central Asia, Europe is attempting to tackle numerous and genuine threats, such as the Islamic State and its regional offshoot Daech-Khorasan, as well as organised crime and problems related to the encroaching Taliban. However, in its dealings with the Tajik government, it must take account of the fact that this government does not apply the same definitions to “extremism” and “terrorism”.

Nane Bouvier
Editor for Novastan in Dushanbe

Translated by William Roberts

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On May 17, 2021, Kazakhstan inaugurated its Consulate General in Strasbourg in order to get closer to the Grand Est region and the European Union. This will reinforce France’s status as the leading partner to Central Asia. This article was originally published on Novastan’s French website on the 25th of May 2021. It is a step closer to one another for Kazakhstan and France. On May 17th 2021, Kazakhstan’s former diplomatic mission in Strasbourg has been officially transformed into a Consulate General, as the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in France has announced on its Facebook page. The consulate will have the mission to cover the Grand Est region as well as to develop closer relations with the European Union (EU), whose Parliament is based in Strasbourg. During the ceremony, Anuarbek Akhmetov was named as the Consul-General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Strasbourg. The event was attended by the ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan in France, Jean Galiev, the first vice-president of the Grand Est region, Jean-Luc Bohl, as well as French senator and the regional councillor for the Grand Est, André Reichdart. The Norwegian Björn Berge, deputy secretary to the Council of Europe, was also present. In addition to these four, representatives of the diplomatic corps were also present, likewise representatives of the city’s town hall and Kazakh students, according to the embassy.

A Special Position

This Consulate General holds a special position in the sphere of Kazakh diplomacy in France. Whilst the embassy has a consular service, it distinguishes itself from the biggest country in Central Asia’s other three honorary consulates in Lyon, Nice, and Rennes. As a Kazakh diplomatic source pointed out to Novastan, the latter honorary consulates are run by French citizens and are used as assistance.

The new consulate in Strasbourg has many aims. As much as carrying out basic consular services in the Grand Est region, the consulate must also promote commercial and humanitarian cooperation between the countries, as the Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Equally, Kazakhstan hopes to develop cooperation in the digital, agri-food and renewable energy sectors – three sectors that are very present in this territory, as Jean Galiev noted during the inauguration.

A New Diplomatic Reach

As Kazakh media outlet Khabar24 explains, interest in a Consulate General in Strasbourg was reignited by the intensification of diplomatic relations with Western Europe, and in particular France, but also with the Council of Europe. From an economic standpoint, France is one of the most important investors in Kazakhstan whilst Nur-Sultan is Paris’ first Central Asian economic partner. This position was mentioned by the French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Franck Riester, in an interview with the Kazakh media outlet Kazinform. According to the minister, France is Kazakhstan’s 8th largest partner. More broadly, Nur-Sultan is looking to the European Union and the Council of Europe. On 19 March 2021, the sixth session of the EU-Kazakhstan Investment Cooperation Dialogue was held. During this session, Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamincalled on EU ambassadors to establish a new dialogue to promote Kazakhstan’s economic development. With this Consulate General in Strasbourg, Nur-Sultan aims to have a more serious representation in the European institutions in order to bring diplomatic relations with Europe to a new level.

Novastan Editorial Team

Translated from French by Molly Arnold

Edited by Anna Wilhelmi

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The post Kazakhstan inaugurates its Consulate general in Strasbourg and sets its sights on the European union appeared first on Novastan English.

The European Union has officially added Uzbekistan to the list of countries benefiting from the GSP +. 6,200 Uzbek products will be able to access the European market without customs duties.

This article was originally published on Novastan’s French website on 9 April 2021.

The European Commission officially added Uzbekistan to the list of countries benefiting from its Generalised System of Advanced Preferences (GSP +) this Friday, 9 April. Tashkent will be able to export 6,200 products to the European Union (EU) market without any import duties from 10 April.

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Previously, Uzbekistan was on the GSP list, which allows exports of 3,000 goods without tariffs and 3,200 goods with reduced tariffs. Inclusion on the GSP + list therefore means a doubling in the number of products without tariffs.

This statute received the green light from the European Commission on 30 November. The decision was then approved by the European Parliament and the European Council. Currently, only 9 countries benefit from it in the world, including Kyrgyzstan since 2016.

“An important step”

In a statement, the Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade welcomed the country’s new status: “This is an important step in the relations between the EU and Uzbekistan, which will further deepen dialogue as well as trade.” The ministry organised an official event at a hotel in Tashkent to mark the occasion.

“I am convinced that this status will give a powerful impetus to investors and representatives of the private sector, mainly from EU countries, in the implementation of promising projects in Uzbekistan,” the deputy prime minister and minister of investments, Sardor Umurzakov, said. The event was attended by the newly appointed EU Ambassador to Uzbekistan Charlotte Adriaen.

In the background, a new agreement

According to a European source, SPG + is just one signal among many. In fact, obtaining this status does not detract from the fact that Uzbekistan is following a multi-directional approach combining Chinese investments and a rapprochement with the West with the EU and a potential membership of the World Trade Organisation, all the while keeping observer status in the Eurasian Economic Union, dominated by Russia.

Read more on Novastan: Uzbekistan: towards greater cooperation with Iran?

Uzbekistan is also in the process of negotiating Extended Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (EPCA) with the European Union. These agreements look to replace the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) in effect since 1999. The EPCA has a much broader scope than the SPG + status, encompassing justice, trade, human rights as well as corruption and terrorism prevention.

As the Uzbek media Gazeta.uz notes, seven rounds of negotiations have already taken place on the EPCA since they started in 2018, while a final position is expected for the first half of 2021.

Etienne Combier
Editor-in-chief of Novastan France

Translated from French by Valentine Baldassari

The post Uzbek products obtain privileged access to the European Union appeared first on Novastan English.

This is a copy of our newsletter dated 15 February 2021. Sign up here to receive it directly in your inbox every Monday.

This newsletter is dedicated to post-Soviet Central Asia. Each week, we let you know the latest from the region. Question, comments, suggestions? Write to us at editorial@novastan.org.

Above: Uzbekistan has published an environment, social and governance (ESG) report. (Photo: David Stanley)

In the news

Hello from Novastan! This week we look at the latest developments in the Matraimov case in Kyrgyzstan, sustainability in Uzbekistan, human rights in Kazakhstan and more…

Raimbek Matraimov was found guilty of corruption and fined 260,000 som (just over £2,200). A 2019 investigation [ENG] implicated the former deputy head of Kyrgyzstan’s customs service in a scheme to secretly transfer hundreds of millions of dollars out of the country. As the Kyrgyz media Kloop.kg reports [RU], Matraimov had made a deal with the prosecution, allowing him to avoid a prison sentence in exchange for voluntary repayment of 2bn som, or around £140,000.

On Sunday, hundreds of protesters in Bishkek marched “for justice” and against corruption. As Radio Azattyk, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz service, notes [RU], participants mentioned Matraimov’s sentence, recalling President Sadyr Japarov’s promise to jail the former official.

Uzbekistan has published [ENG] an environment, social and governance (ESG) report. While ESG reports are common practice in the corporate world, Uzbekistan is the first country to publish one.

A new satellite detected [ENG] a methane leak in Turkmenistan. This is not a first: a French data analytics company reported [FR] such a leak in October last year, and, before that, a 2019 study pointed out [FR] a large methane cloud originating in western Turkmenistan.

On 11 February, the European parliament adopted a resolution [ENG] urging Kazakhstan to respect human rights. The text “calls on the Government of Kazakhstan to drop politically motivated charges and end all forms of arbitrary detention, reprisals and harassment … and to allow people to freely express their political, religious and other views“.

Covid-19 in Central Asia

As of 15 February 2021, there have officially been 380,839 cases, 4,694 deaths and 358,657 recoveries. In more detail:

– Kazakhstan : 202,573 cases, 2,540 deaths, 185,205 recovered
– Kyrgyzstan: 85,516 cases,  1,442 deaths, 82,306 recovered
– Uzbekistan: 79,442 cases, 622 deaths, 77,928 recovered
– Tajikistan: 13,308 cases, 90 deaths, 13,218 recovered (no new cases according to official figures)
– Turkmenistan: 0 cases, 0 deaths, 0 recovered

Turkmenistan still officially states Covid-19 is entirely absent from the country despite many signs to the contrary.

Tajikistan has declared itself Covid-free, but experts say the country’s authorities are an unreliable source [EN] when it comes to coronavirus figures. Last week, the health minister Jamoliddin Abdullozoda, repeated that there hadn’t been any new cases in the country in 2021, which contradicts the official count on covid.tj.

At the same press conference, he clarified [RU] Tajikistan’s vaccine situation: “20% of vaccines for the population of Tajikistan will be provided under the COVAX program”, he said. “We are negotiating with the Russian side regarding the purchase of the Sputnik vaccine, and we will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine for free.”

Our photo of the week

Sunset over Khujand by Simon Massicotte. Click on the picture for more information.

Every day, we publish a photo from Central Asia. You can find it on our website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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That’s it for this week! We recommend starting your evening with some Central Asian rap.

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The post [Newsletter] A fistful of som appeared first on Novastan English.