UN calls on Tajikistan to end persecution of journalists and human rights defenders

Beijing. May 17. Silkroadnews - The UN calls on Tajikistan to end persecution of journalists and human rights defenders, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour said, summing up his visit to Tajikistan, the Tajik Telegraph Agency (TajikTA) reported on Thursday.
In his opinion, human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers should be able to carry out their important work without hindrance, without being subjected to intimidation and prosecution, as well as without unnecessary administrative checks.
He also said, the UN Human Rights Office in Central Asia is ready to provide technical support to actually stop the “illegal, immoral and ineffective” practice.
In his statement, A. Gilmour called on the Tajik authorities to combat discrimination against women, youth, disabled people, as well as representatives of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersexual (LGBTI) community.
According to Andrew Gilmour, “repression and attacks on the rights of communities that invariably fuel anger, extremism, violence and instability”.