Tajikistan
The authoritarian regime of President Emomali Rahmon severely restricts political rights and civil liberties. The political opposition has been devastated by a sustained campaign of repression in recent years, and the government exerts tight control over religious expression and activity.
Research & Recommendations
Tajikistan
| PR Political Rights | 0 40 |
| CL Civil Liberties | 5 60 |
Overview
The authoritarian regime of President Emomali Rahmon, who has ruled since 1992, severely restricts political rights and civil liberties. The political opposition and independent media have been devastated by a sustained campaign of repression, and the government exerts tight control over religious expression and activity. Wealth and authority are concentrated in the hands of Rahmon and his family.
In countries where democratic forces have come to power after periods of antidemocratic rule, the new governments should pursue an agenda that protects and expands freedoms even as it delivers tangible economic and social benefits to citizens.
These countries must act swiftly to release all political prisoners, build or revitalize democratic institutions, reform police and other security forces, organize and hold competitive multiparty elections, and ensure accountability for past human rights violations.
In countries where there has been significant erosion of political rights and civil liberties, policymakers, legislators, jurists, civic activists, and donor communities should work to strengthen institutional guardrails and norms that serve to constrain elected leaders with antidemocratic or illiberal aims.
Tajikistan
| DEMOCRACY-PERCENTAGE Democracy Percentage | 0.60 100 |
| DEMOCRACY-SCORE Democracy Score | 1.04 7 |
Executive Summary
In 2023, Tajikistan remained a deeply authoritarian state dominated by the regime of President Emomali Rahmon and his family. Rahmon has ruled the country since 1992, making him the longest-serving ruler in the region covered by Nations in Transit. Since 2015, he has been “Leader of the Nation,” allowing him to rule indefinitely and rendering him immune from prosecution. The concentration of power within the ruling elite limits political dialogue and reinforces systemic problems, especially corruption and cronyism, which are woven into the country's governance framework.
The future of European democracy and security is now inextricably linked to the fate of Ukraine. European Union (EU) and NATO member states must not only invest far more—and more efficiently—in their collective defense, but also provide Ukraine with the assistance it needs to roll back Russian advances and build a durable democracy of its own.
In addition to defending the international order from emboldened autocrats, democratic governments must attend to democratic renewal within Europe, particularly among nascent democracies.
Military aggression from autocracies in the region has underscored the dangers of exclusion from democracy-based organizations like the EU and NATO, galvanizing the political will of policymakers in aspiring member states and generating further public pressure to undertake long-sought democratic reforms.
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Transnational Repression
