Today, September 28, 2023, marks the eighth anniversary of the unlawful detention of our colleague, lawyer Buzurgmehr Yorov. Buzurgmehr Yorov is a renowned human rights lawyer in Tajikistan. He has gained recognition by taking on high-profile cases representing individuals who have been prosecuted on politically motivated charges by the Tajik government. After various prosecutions that ignored international due process standards, Mr. Yorov was found guilty of forgery and “arousing national, racial, local or religious hostility and extremism” on 6 October 2016. Furthermore, on 10 July 2023 Yorov was sentenced to an additonal 10 years in prison on charges of alleged fraud. They are allegedly related to complaints made by a fellow prisoner regarding legal services Yorov promised but did not provide. However, the exact details of the charges are unclear as the trial was largely closed to the public, held in the pre-trial detention facility where Yorov is detained.
On this eighth anniversary of the arrest of Yorov on 28 September 2015, Lawyers for Lawyers respectfully urges the Tajik authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Buzurgmehr Yorov and to ensure his safety and health according to international standards.
