Buzurgmehr Yorov, Tajikistan
I am an independent human rights lawyer based in Tajikistan. My journey in the field of law began when I served as an investigator in the Department of Internal Affairs in Dushanbe during my early years. After earning my law degree in 1997, I dedicated nearly a decade to working as a legal counsel for the legal aid bureau of the Shohmansur District of Dushanbe, advocating for justice and fairness.
On the September 2015, my life took a drastic turn. I found myself arrested and subjected to a campaign of targeted persecution. The reason? My unwavering commitment to representing politically marginalized clients, including members of the banned opposition party, the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT). My advocacy also extended to raising my voice against the alleged torture that one of my clients endured during their pre-trial detention. Despite persistent government pressure to abandon these cases, I remained steadfast in my pursuit of justice. It was this determination that led to my arrest on charges of forgery, fraud, incitement of hostility, and extremism.
The subsequent trial, marred by serious flaws and conducted behind closed doors, failed to meet the standards of fairness upheld by the international community. In October 2016, I was handed a 23-year prison sentence. Shockingly, my sentence was increased to 28 years as part of further politically motivated charges brought against me. It wasn't until October 2019 that my sentence saw a reduction of six years, owing to a government-initiated mass amnesty.
Throughout my time behind bars, I've endured unspeakable horrors. Instances of torture and ill-treatment, including severe beatings that necessitated hospitalization, have tested my resilience. Additionally, I've been subjected to periods of solitary confinement, which I firmly believe were retribution for my efforts to draw attention to the ill-treatment of fellow prisoners.
The international community took notice, with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issuing a resounding opinion in May 2019, affirming that my detention is both arbitrary and a grave violation of international human rights law.
On 10 July 2023, the Vahdat city court handed down an extra 10 years that were added to my existing sentence, this time accusing me of large-scale fraud. The trial took place in secrecy, without the presence of legal representation. The court's decision mandated that the first two years of this new sentence be spent in a closed prison, followed by eight years in a penal colony located in the Yavan region.
To amplify the awareness around my unjust predicament, my family has courageously established a foundation in my name.
