human rights defender

Buzurgmehr Yorov

Actions and Campaigns

© Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Urgent support needed

Legal and medical assistance

Organization affiliation

  • Social Democractic Party of Tajikistan

HRD's year of birth

1971

HRD's Gender

Man

Type of HRD

  • Lawyer

HRD's thematic area of engagement

  • Civil and political rights

HRD's geographical origin

Urban

HRD's bio and work

Buzurgmehr Yorov (Tajik: Бузургмеҳр Ёров; born 9 July 1971) is a Tajik human rights lawyer and a member of the opposition Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan. He became known for defending political opposition figures, religious leaders, journalists, and other individuals prosecuted by the Tajik authorities in cases widely criticized as politically motivated. He also headed the legal firm Sipar, through which he handled several prominent cases during the 2000s and 2010s.

Among his notable clients were the prominent religious figure and former senator Hoji Akbar Turajonzoda, opposition politician Muhiddin Kabiri, and lawyer Fakhriddin Zokirov. Yorov was particularly known for taking on cases that involved government pressure and restrictions on political and religious freedoms.

In September 2015, Yorov began representing senior members of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), an opposition party that was subsequently banned by the Tajik authorities. He publicly reported that some of his clients had been tortured in pre-trial detention and called for other lawyers to join their defense. But he was subsequently detained himself.

Yorov has received widespread international recognition for his human rights work, despite his imprisonment. In 2019, he was awarded the Faiziniso Vohidova Human Rights Prize and was shortlisted for the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. In 2020, he received the Homo Homini Human Rights Award from the Czech organization People in Need.

Current Status

In prison (sentenced)

Detained since

Sep 28, 2015

Charge(s)

  • Extremism
  • Financial crimes
  • Other

Sentence

28 years in prison across several proceedings

Geolocation of detention

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

  • Asia: Central Asia

Location of detention - City/Town

Dushanbe

Location of detention - Facility

Maximum-Security Prison Number 1

Allegations / reports of ill-treatment

Following his arrest, Yorov was held in pre-trial detention for eight months, where he was beaten and held in solitary confinement.

He was prevented from communicating freely with his lawyer, from receiving legal assistance and from presenting his defence.

The authorities have restricted visits from his wife and reportedly pressured his family not to advocate on his behalf.

Recent case update / evolution

On 28 September 2015, Yorov was arrested by Tajik authorities and charged with fraud, forgery, extremism, and Incitement of national, racial, local or religious hostility. He was convicted on October 6, 2016 and sentenced to 23 years' imprisonment.

In 2017, Yorov received an additional 2-year sentence on charges of contempt of court, insulting a government official, and publicly insulting the Leader of the Nation.

Yorov's sentence was reduced to 18 years through two separate mass amnesties, in November 2019 and in October 2021.

In 2023, Tajik authorities brought a new fraud case against Yorov, alleging that he had accepted payment from a fellow prisoner for legal services that were not provided. Yorov and his family rejected the allegations, and he received an additional 10-year sentence following the proceedings. This ensuing conviction has extended his sentence and pushed his expected release date to September 2043, by which time he will be 72 years old.

Any other relevant documents

Joint communication, UN special procedures, Réf. : AL TJK 1/2020 , https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=25677

Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Opinion No. 17/2019 concerning Buzurgmehr Yorov (Tajikistan), A/HRC/WGAD/2019/17, https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/Detention/Opinions/Session84/A_HRC_WGAD_2019_17.pdf

Documented by

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