Tajikistan: Information on the treatment of Jewish people and the availability of state protection for Jewish victims of ill-treatment
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 July 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | TJT17813.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Tajikistan: Information on the treatment of Jewish people and the availability of state protection for Jewish victims of ill-treatment, 1 July 1994, TJT17813.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abbfa0.html [accessed 3 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Referring to freedom of religion in Tajikistan, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1993 states that "the Government places no restrictions on religious worship. ... There are no official restrictions against any religious group" (1994, 1082). The report refers to the existence of a number of active religious communities, including the Jewish community, and adds that all of these communities are permitted to provide
religious education, publish religious materials of a nonpolitical nature, and maintain international contacts and travel. Conversion is permitted and missionaries are free to operate. Religious faith confers no particular advantages in civil, political, economic, or military structures (ibid.).
The report refers to the emigration of some 80 per cent of Tajikistan's 15,000-strong Jewish community to Israel, and the return of several hundred of them to Tajikistan (ibid., 1083).
Elaborating on the emigration of Tajik Jews to Israel, the attached Reuters report refers to an Israeli foreign ministry authority stating that anti-Semitism is not the reason for this emigration (27 Oct. 1992). The attached BBC report quotes a Dushanbe Jewish community spokesman who also denies anti-Semitism as the reason for the emigration of Tajik Jews; the spokesman attributes this emigration to political instability in Tajikistan (24 Dec. 1992). However, the attached articles from The Jewish Advocate and the Northern California Jewish Bulletin refer to cases of ill-treatment of Tajik Jews, including "verbal anti-Semitism" and "acts of physical violence directed at Jews" (1 Apr. 1993; 28 Aug. 1992). The attached NPR report also provides information on the ill-treatment of Tajik Jews.
Sources currently available to the DIRB do not specifically refer to the existence of state protection for Jewish victims of ill-treatment.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. 24 December 1992. "Other Reports; Refugees on the Move in Tajikistan." (NEXIS)
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1993. 1994. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.
The Jewish Advocate. 1 April 1993. "Ex-Soviet Jews Still Issue." (NEXIS)
Northern California Jewish Bulletin. 28 August 1992. David Waksberg. "Russian Jews Nervous in the Calm Before the Storm." (NEXIS)
Reuters. 27 October 1992. BC Cycle. "Israel Flies Jews Out of Central Asia." (NEXIS)
Attachments
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. 24 December 1992. "Other Reports; Refugees on the Move in Tajikistan." (NEXIS)
The Jewish Advocate. 1 April 1993. "Ex-Soviet Jews Still Issue." (NEXIS)
National Public Radio (NPR). 18 June 1992. Morning Edition. Bob Edwards. "Dushambe's Russians Fear the Tadzhiks." (NEXIS)
Northern California Jewish Bulletin. 28 August 1992. David Waksberg. "Russian Jews Nervous in the Calm Before the Storm." (NEXIS)
Reuters. 27 October 1992. BC Cycle. "Israel Flies Jews Out of Central Asia." (NEXIS)
