Tajikistan’s Foreign Ministry has taken a significant diplomatic step by summoning Russia’s ambassador in Dushanbe to address alleged rights violations against Tajik citizens in Russia, as reported by the state-run news agency TASS on Monday.
The ministry delivered an official note of protest to Russian ambassador Semyon Grigoryev, expressing serious concerns about numerous cases of negative treatment towards Tajik citizens in Russia and widespread violations of their rights and freedoms. The note emphasized that these violations were exclusively targeted at Tajik citizens, which contradicts the spirit and traditions of Tajik-Russian relations.
This move from Dushanbe follows the Crocus City Hall attack outside Moscow, where a group of armed individuals, suspected to have ties with the Islamic State militant group, carried out an attack resulting in the deaths of 145 people and injuries to hundreds more. Four suspects, reportedly from Tajikistan, were arrested by Russian law enforcement authorities in connection with the attack. Subsequently, security checks on Central Asian migrants in Russia have intensified.
Earlier this month, Tajikistan condemned the alleged torture of the four suspects, who appeared in court with visible signs of injuries. Additionally, Tajikistan’s Foreign Ministry raised concerns about the mass denial of entry to Tajik citizens arriving in Russia.
While Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the border checks as temporary and not based on nationality, Tajikistan’s actions indicate its commitment to addressing the reported mistreatment of its citizens in Russia.
The timeline of events suggests that Tajikistan’s diplomatic efforts, including the meeting with Ambassador Grigoryev and the issuance of the reported diplomatic note of protest, are part of a larger response to the ongoing situation involving Tajik citizens in Russia.