Buzurgmehr Yorov is a renowned Tajik human rights lawyer who has defended individuals prosecuted on politically motivated charges by the Tajik government. In early 2015, Yorov represented 13 members of the opposition Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT). After publicly revealing their torture in pre-trial detention and calling for legal support, he was arrested.
In October 2016, he was sentenced to 23 years in prison on charges of forgery and inciting extremism, following a trial that failed to meet international due process standards. His sentence was later extended to 28 years in 2017 for allegedly insulting government officials, the court, and the nations’ leader. Despite an opinion of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (the ‘WGAD’) issued in June 2019, calling for his immediate release, Buzurgmehr Yorov remains in prison. In July 2023, Yorov received an additional 10-year sentence on charges of alleged fraud after a closed-door trial, with little evidence and limited family access. Yorov has endured serious ill-treatment in prison, raising grave concerns for his safety and well-being.
