human rights defender

Daler Bobiev (Daler Imomali)

© Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

Urgent support needed

Legal assistance

HRD's year of birth

1988

HRD's Gender

Man

Type of HRD

  • Journalist/Blogger

HRD's thematic area of engagement

  • Economic, social and cultural rights
  • Fight against corruption

HRD's geographical origin

Rural

HRD's bio and work

Daler Imomali (born July 28, 1988) is an independent Tajik investigative journalist, blogger, and political prisoner who is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence in Tajikistan. He rose to prominence as a bold citizen journalist on YouTube, where his channel amassed 150,000 subscribers by exposing systemic corruption, bureaucratic abuse, and unlawful housing demolitions that stripped working-class citizens of their property rights.

Current Status

In prison (sentenced)

Detained since

Jun 15, 2022

Charge(s)

  • Extremism
  • Financial crimes
  • Membership in an illegal organisation
  • Other

Sentence

10 years in prison

Geolocation of detention

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

  • Asia: Central Asia

Location of detention - City/Town

Dushanbe

Location of detention - Facility

Correctional Facility Number 4

Allegations / reports of ill-treatment

During the interrogation, Imomali was beaten for refusing to delete the videos from his YouTube channel.

Recent case update / evolution

On June 15, 2022, police detained Imomali in Tajikistan’s northern Ayni district. On June 18, a court in the capital, Dushanbe, ordered him to be held in detention for two months pending investigation into allegations of failing to pay taxes on his YouTube earnings, making a false accusation of a crime, and participating in banned organizations. The court ordered the case against Imomali to be classified as secret.

Investigators accused Imomali of membership in the Group 24 political organization. Group 24, which has been banned as extremist in Tajikistan, describes itself as seeking a peaceful revolution, democracy, and human rights in the country by means of popular demonstrations.

On October 17, 2022, he was convicted and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment following a secret, closed-door trial.

Any other relevant documents

Joint communication, UN special procedures, Réf. : AL TJK 1/2023, https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=28026

Documented by

  • UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders (Mary Lawlor)