The Human Rights: TJ forces young men into army refuse face prosecution

The report states that Tajikistan’s compulsory military service, governed by the Law on Universal Military Duty and Military Service, requires all male citizens aged 18 to 27 to complete two years of service, with biannual conscription cycles in April-June and October-December, and that paper exemptions for students, sole breadwinners and certain medical conditions are routinely disregarded. According to the report, military police and local officials conduct violent round-ups in markets, bus stations, weddings, homes and workplaces, with documented cases of men holding valid exemption papers being seized anyway, while wealthier families in Dushanbe pay bribes of between $2,000 and $5,000 to avoid service. The report describes conditions during service as marked by dedovshchina hazing inherited from the Soviet military, including beatings causing broken bones and organ damage, sexual assault, forced consumption of harmful substances, sleep deprivation, malnutrition and forced unpaid labour on farms, construction sites and officers’ private properties. Citing RFE/RL and Asia-Plus, the report lists reported non-combat deaths of 14 in 2019, 16 in 2020, 19 in 2021, 23 in 2022, 28 in 2023 and 21 in 2024, adding that the government pressures bereaved families into silence. The report notes that Article 376 of the Criminal Code carries up to two years’ imprisonment for evasion, Article 378 up to seven for desertion (12 with a weapon), and that Tajikistan provides no legal right to conscientious objection or alternative civilian service, citing UN Committee against Torture findings.