Tajik officials say at least 12 troops have been killed in clashes with militants led by a former warlord accused of murdering a security services chief. A government statement said 30 rebel fighters were also killed in the fighting Tuesday in a remote mountainous region close to the Afghan border. The statement said troops captured […]
Tajik Officials: About 40 Dead in Fighting Between Troops, Militants
Posted July 24th, 2012 at 12:20 pm (UTC-5)
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Tajik Police Arrest 3 in Murder of Man Dressed as ‘Santa Claus’
Posted January 3rd, 2012 at 12:10 pm (UTC-5)
Police in Tajikistan have arrested three suspects in the murder of a young man dressed as Father Frost, the Russian equivalent of Santa Claus, who by tradition brings children presents at New Year. The Interior Ministry said Tuesday the three detainees are students at Tajik National University and that religious motives were behind the murder […]
Tajikistan Frees Jailed Pilots
Posted November 22nd, 2011 at 10:35 am (UTC-5)
A court in Tajikistan has freed two jailed pilots in a move that is expected to help soothe a diplomatic spat with Russia. The two pilots, Vladimir Sadovnichy of Russia and Alexey Rudenko of Estonia, were freed Tuesday after the court reduced their sentences and released them for time already served. Russia detained hundreds of […]
Russia Begins Deporting Tajik Migrants
Posted November 15th, 2011 at 1:10 pm (UTC-5)
Russia has started deporting Tajik migrants in what appears to be retaliation for prison terms handed down to a Russian pilot and his Estonian colleague after they landed their aircraft in the Central Asian nation. Russian immigration officials announced the deportation plan, one week after Tajik authorities sentenced the two pilots to eight-and-a-half years in […]
Russia Urges Regional Solution to Afghan Issue
Posted September 2nd, 2011 at 1:40 pm (UTC-5)
Russia is calling on Afghanistan and other central Asian nations to take more responsibility for the fate of the volatile region. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev spoke Friday after meeting the leaders of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe. Mr. Medvedev also announced Russia and Tajikistan will sign a deal to extend Russia’s […]
Tajikistan Bans Minors From Entering Mosques
Posted August 3rd, 2011 at 10:10 am (UTC-5)
Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rakhmon has approved a law barring minors from praying in mosques, as his secular government seeks to minimize the rising influence of Islam in the Central Asian nation. Mr. Rakhmon signed the so-called “parental responsibility” law Wednesday despite criticism from rights activists, religious leaders and the opposition party. The law, which holds […]
8 Afghan Drug Smugglers Killed on Tajik Border
Posted July 28th, 2011 at 7:35 pm (UTC-5)
Tajik officials say border guards have killed eight Afghan drug smugglers trying to sneak into the country. The officials say troops patrolling the southern border spotted a group of 12 people crossing a river dividing the two countries. They say gunfire broke out and eight drug carriers were killed, while the remaining four managed to […]
Tajikistan to Free 15,000 Prisoners in Mass Amnesty
Posted July 27th, 2011 at 9:05 pm (UTC-5)
Tajik officials say President Emomali Rakhmon plans to free 15,000 prisoners in an amnesty to mark the 20th anniversary of the country’s independence. The presidential press service said Wednesday the amnesty law, sent by Mr. Rakhmon for approval by parliament, will release approximately half of the Central Asian nation’s prison population. Tajik officials say the […]
Tajik Police Kill Escaped Militant
Posted July 26th, 2011 at 3:40 am (UTC-5)
Officials in Tajikistan say police have killed one militant and wounded another from a group that escaped from prison nearly a year ago. Authorities said Tuesday one policeman was also killed and two others wounded in a clash with the militants Monday near the Afghan border. The militants were part of a group of 25 […]
Groups Call for Tajikistan to Release Jailed Reporter
Posted July 7th, 2011 at 12:35 pm (UTC-5)
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is calling on Tajikistan to release jailed BBC reporter Urunboi Usmonov. The 59-year-old Usmonov was detained June 13 on charges of belonging to a banned extremist organization, the radical Islamic movement Hizb-ut-Tahrir. But an OSCE statement says it believes Usmonov’s arrest is an attempt to quash reporting […]
