HRW World Report 2019: Tajikistan (LGBT registry mentioned)

The report states that Tajikistan’s human rights record deteriorated further in 2018, with authorities jailing government critics including opposition activists, journalists and relatives of peaceful dissidents. It states that authorities harassed relatives of dissidents abroad, imposed travel bans on family members including children and grandchildren of opposition activists, and extradited or pressured the return of political exiles from abroad. The report states that the government severely curtails freedom of religion or belief, proscribing certain forms of dress including hijab for women and long beards for men. It states that Salafism has been officially banned in Tajikistan since 2011 and that authorities regularly arrest individuals for alleged membership in Salafi groups. On LGBT rights, the report states that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people face discrimination in Tajikistan, although same-sex conduct is not criminalised. The report states that in October 2017 authorities announced the creation of a special registry including 367 “proven” LGBT persons, after conducting law-enforcement operations named “Morality” and “Purge,” purportedly to protect sexual minorities and halt the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. It states that the creation of the registry exposed hundreds of individuals to the risk of detention and extortion by police and to severe social stigma.