Sorbon Yunoev

Sorbon Yunoev is a 63-year-old Pamiri activist and farmer from Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan region, known for supporting indigenous Pamiri rights and criticizing government actions, especially after the November 2021 protests. During his trial, Yunoev was accused of raising his voice against the acting authorities; of expressing his support for the participants in mass protests in Kŭhistoni Badakhshon Autonomous Province in November 2021 and May 2022; of expressing his support for the head of Commission, who had been arrested and detained on 28 May 2022 and had subsequently been sentenced to 29 years of imprisonment; of organizing a peaceful sports event held in Khorugh on 30 May 2020; and of publicly criticizing unreasonable use of the State budget for the construction of a flagpole with the national flag of Tajikistan in one of the districts of Kŭhistoni Badakhshon Autonomous Province. For these actions, he was found guilty of “participation in a criminal association” under article 187 (2) of the Criminal Code. According to the source, Yunoev was convicted of participation in a criminal association, which does not match the activities he was charged with during his trial. The source adds that there is not much information about Yunoev’s conviction, since his relatives tried to secure a lawyer of his choice, but several lawyers refused to work on the case due to fear of prosecution by the authorities. It is alleged that the authorities have harassed lawyers and human rights defenders working on the cases of those detained following the events in Kŭhistoni Badakhshon Autonomous Province.

Sorbon Yunoev is a 63-year-old Pamiri activist and farmer from Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan region, known for supporting indigenous Pamiri rights and criticizing government actions, especially after the November 2021 protests. He was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for allegedly participating in a criminal association.