Address by Sharofiddin Gadoev, Leader of the Movement for Reforms and Development of Tajikistan, on the Occasion of President’s Day
On November 16, 1994, Emomali Rahmon took the presidential oath. In 2014, the country’s parliament declared November 16 as President’s Day, a date now celebrated nationwide.
For Rahmon and his supporters, November 16 symbolizes victory. However, for the free-thinking citizens of Tajikistan, it marks the definitive collapse of democratic values.
This date signifies the establishment of Rahmon’s absolute power, the triumph of authoritarianism, and the erosion of fundamental human rights.
The more the regime consolidates its power, the more human life loses its value.
Today, Tajikistan has turned into a vast graveyard of democracy. Every attempt at free thought is suppressed and mercilessly destroyed.
Tajikistan is governed by a dictator, the worst Central Asia has ever known, and our land has never seen a tyrant more brutal in its history.
In November 1992, members of parliament in Khujand were forced, under the threat of death, to elect Emomali Rahmon as Chairman of the Supreme Council of Tajikistan, the highest state office at the time.
The script for the Khujand session was written by the intelligence services of Russia and Uzbekistan. The process was conducted under the control of armed units from the Popular Front and the security forces of these two countries.
The deputies were coerced into voting for a decision that neither reflected their opinions nor represented the interests of their constituents.
In reality, what occurred during that parliamentary session, known as the “16th Session,” was a coup d’état and the unlawful seizure of power in Tajikistan.
The “Popular Front,” led by criminal bandits and supported by Rahmon, was granted impunity to murder peaceful citizens. Repressions and persecutions against anyone with differing convictions or opposition to the regime began.
Tajikistan became a land of terror and violence. From 1992 to 1997, Rahmon’s soldiers hunted down and destroyed every free-thinker, intellectual, and dissenter wherever they could be found.
The subject of mass killings during those years remains taboo in Tajikistan because their orchestrators hold the highest state positions.
They created the illusion of a democratic society to deceive observers while uprooting civil society for decades.
My country has become the private property of the Rahmon family.
Through suppression, threats, and pressure, Rahmon’s regime has deprived my people of the right to be citizens and to enjoy the wealth of their own nation.
Journalists are imprisoned, opposition members are killed, and their relatives endure brutal repression.
In my country, free expression is a crime. The people do not choose their future; it is predetermined for them.
All of this happens under the orders of one man—President Rahmon—who has now transformed the day of his rise to power into a national holiday.
This man seeks to transfer power to his heirs and perpetuate threats, humiliation, and discrimination, ensuring that Tajikistan serves only the interests of the Rahmon family while the people forget their dreams of freedom.
Dear citizens of Tajikistan!
Do not let your children’s bright and happy future be stolen, turning them into silent and obedient slaves!
November 16, 2024
Amsterdam
