Buzurgmehr Yorov, one of Tajikistan’s most fearless human rights lawyers, has been unjustly imprisoned for nearly ten years. He is currently serving a 23-year sentence for defending political opposition leaders, in violation of his fundamental rights.
Yorov was arrested in 2015 after representing members of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party and speaking out against torture of his clients. His arrest and subsequent trials were riddled with due process violations, and he has since faced repeated trumped-up charges that extend his sentence to 2043. While in detention, he has been tortured, denied access to fair legal defense, and cut off from his family.
His case exemplifies Tajikistan’s broader human rights crisis under President Emomali Rahmon, where independent lawyers, journalists, and activists are regularly persecuted. Despite calls from the United Nations and international rights groups for his release, Yorov remains behind bars.
Twelve organizations—including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Civil Rights Defenders—are calling for Yorov’s immediate release and for Tajikistan to free all those jailed for peacefully exercising their rights. They urge the international community to raise Yorov’s case and press the government to uphold its obligations under international law.