Author: Stavros Demetriallis

The Tajikistani authorities are perpetuating systemic discrimination and severe human rights violations against the Pamiri minority, according to new research by Amnesty International. The Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) in East Tajikistan is home to several ethnic groups forming the Pamiri minority, mostly practicing the Shia Ismaili branch of Islam. Denied official recognition as a minority and regarded as ethnic Tajiks by the central authorities, Pamiris face systemic discrimination, suppression of cultural and religious institutions, political oppression, and brutal reprisals for defending their rights. “The ongoing persecution and human rights violations against the Pamiri minority in Tajikistan reached an alarming scale…

On April 17, the application process for grants from the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan for the Promotion of Democracy and Human Rights ends. An official announcement on the launch of a new project by the EU delegation in Dushanbe on March 12 said that projects “to promote and protect human rights, democracy and fundamental freedoms in Tajikistan” will be selected on a competitive basis. Representatives of civil society can participate in the competition. The total budget of the competition was 1 million 855 thousand euros. Applicants can request a grant of €300,000 to €400,000 for a period…

Brussels (12/03 – 55.56) Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, said that the dissolution of human rights NGOs signals a deteriorating environment for civil society and human rights defence in Tajikistan. She reiterated that Tajikistan must reconsider its attitudes towards civil society and view human rights defenders as allies instead of enemies. Earlier in November 2023, Tajikistan Minister of Justice announced that 700 NGOs in the country had been liquidated over an 18-month period. “Human rights defenders working on so-called sensitive issues, including freedom from torture, the right to housing and compensation for requisitioned land, minority rights, freedom of belief and good governance, political rights, and…

Against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war and one-off Islamist attacks closer to home, German authorities are confronting a ‘complex threat situation.’ Some observers warn against exaggerating the danger. A handful of isolated, but high-profile incidents have put politically motivated crime high on Germany’s security agenda. The renewed fears follow a German tourist getting stabbed to death in Paris last weekend allegedly by a man with a history of criminal behavior, and mental illness and what prosecutors there have said is sympathy for the so-called Islamic State (IS). The news has refreshed memories from 2016 when a man — also with an…

‘These digital tools are not devoid of security flaws,’ government document says. French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne has banned widely used messaging applications WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal for ministers and their teams due to security vulnerabilities, according to a memo seen by POLITICO. “These digital tools are not devoid of security flaws, and therefore cannot guarantee the security of conversations and information shared via them,” reads the document, dated November 22. Borne set a deadline of December 8 for the government to switch to using the French app Olvid instead, which is certified by France’s cybersecurity agency ANSSI. Tchap, the…

‘The total destruction of Hamas — does anyone think it is possible? If this is the case, the war will last 10 years,’ French president says. French President Emmanuel Macron said Israel “must more precisely define” what it seeks to accomplish in its war on Hamas as the full elimination of the Palestinian militant group would take a decade. “We are at a moment when Israeli authorities must more precisely define their objectives and their final goal: the total destruction of Hamas — does anyone think it is possible? If this is the case, the war will last 10 years,”…

Under the new rules, immigrants will have to earn more to get a work visa and will find it harder to bring family members to the U.K The British government announced tough new immigration rules Monday that it says will reduce the number of people able to move to the U.K. each year by hundreds of thousands. Home Secretary James Cleverly said he was taking “robust action” to lower authorized immigration, which hit a record level of almost 750,000 people in 2022. Critics said the moves would leave overstretched sectors like health and social care at a breaking point. Under the new…

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and his Swedish counterpart, Ulf Kristersson, held discussions here on Monday, focusing on bilateral relations, security issues and other topical international and EU affairs. Orpo stressed the importance of closer contact between Finland and Sweden, especially on security issues. During a joint press conference, Orpo mentioned Finland’s consideration of new measures to address unauthorized immigration, emphasizing the importance of proportionate and effective actions. For his part, Kristersson said the EU external border is “no longer a matter for Italy, Greece and Spain” only, but also a concern for the Nordics. He expressed strong support for…

The quality of the internet has been severely compromised by restrictions placed on the market. The first step to solving a problem is admitting that it exists. Telecommunications regulators in Tajikistan have taken a surprising step in that direction by reportedly admitting this week that a staggering 95 percent of the country’s territory is covered by only outdated 2G mobile connections. This situation is in no small part due to the State Communications Service itself. In addition to regulating the sector, the service and the people running it are also major market players, albeit in highly nebulous ways that would be unthinkable…

Germany has become the fifth G7 country with which Ukraine has started negotiations on bilateral security guarantees, the Office of the President of Ukraine announced on Nov. 17. Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of the President’s Office, leads the Ukrainian negotiating team. He emphasized Germany’s role as a key provider of financial, military, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. “One cannot imagine the effectiveness of security guarantees or Ukraine’s future membership in the Euro-Atlantic community without Germany,” the message quotes Zhovkva. “That is why the start of bilateral security negotiations with Germany is so significant.” During the first round of talks, both parties…