HRW: Ergashev deported from Germany jailed

Human Rights Watch news release dated 20 November 2024, issued jointly with Freedom for Eurasia, Norwegian Helsinki Committee, and Abschiebungsreporting NRW. The report states that Dilmurod Ergashev, a Tajik opposition activist deported from Germany on 6 November 2024 after being refused asylum, was provisionally detained for two months by a Dushanbe city court on 8 November on unclear charges, and was in a Dushanbe hospital due to medical concerns. The article finds that on the morning of 7 November, German Federal Police handed Ergashev to Tajikistani authorities at Dushanbe airport, where witnesses saw him handcuffed with a black bag placed over his head before being driven away. The document reports that on 28 October Ergashev had been detained in Kleve, Germany; upon learning his final asylum request had been rejected, he reportedly attempted to take his own life by cutting himself, requiring medical treatment, though deportation proceeded. The report cites Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at HRW, calling on Germany to investigate why the deportation went ahead. It recalls that Germany in 2023 deported Abdullohi Shamsiddin and Bilol Qurbonaliev, who received 7 and 10-year sentences respectively. Internal sources cited include Ergashev’s lawyer, witnesses at Dushanbe airport, and an earlier HRW report on transnational repression.