Human rights defender Abdurakhmon Tashanov reports mounting pressure amid activism efforts

“I am flying to Delhi in a terrible mood. At the airport, they rummaged through my belongings, took my passport, and detained me for over an hour. They stripped me and searched me down to my crotch. The treatment was deeply humiliating. I don’t even know who to turn to for help.

I noticed embarrassment on the faces of the airport staff. They said, ‘We recognize you, sir, but this is our duty.’ After such degrading treatment, I wanted to turn back, but my companion convinced me to continue. Shameful people.

As a human rights defender who fights for the rights of others, I now find myself powerless before these disgraceful actions. My health has been affected—I had just been discharged from the hospital last week. A thousand curses on them!” wrote the activist.

On January 24, Tashanov shared on Facebook that there had been unauthorized attempts to access his account.

Additionally, on January 22, he reported receiving several letters suggesting efforts to gather compromising material against him.

“News has surfaced that certain ‘well-wishers’ are attempting to collect compromising information on me. Yesterday, I received several letters about this. I suspect they’re planning something—let them do their worst. This is a battle of shadows and cliffs. If I become a casualty, I will not regret it,” he wrote.

Tashanov now plans to appeal to the president as a final measure.

“Throughout my career, I have never appealed to the president. Now I am preparing to, as this appeal will be my last resort. If it yields no results, the full picture of the situation will become clear,” he said.

Abdurakhmon Tashanov, the head of Uzbekistan’s independent "Ezgulik" human rights society, regularly comments on various political and social issues in both local and international media. Under his leadership, the organization has actively participated in court and investigation processes based on citizens' complaints. On December 10, 2024, the "Ezgulik" human rights society was awarded the "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" Human Rights Prize by Didier Migaud, the French Minister of Justice at the time, in Paris.