Tajik Activist Left Stateless After Stripped of Russian Citizenship

Qadam Ismatov finds himself in a state of limbo, with no country to call home after being stripped of his Russian citizenship and left stranded in Tajikistan. The 60-year-old ethnic Tajik, known for his past criticism of the Tajik government, was extradited from Russia to Dushanbe due to alleged ties to the opposition movement, Group 24, which was banned by the Tajik government in 2014.

Having lived in Russia since the early 1990s and obtaining Russian citizenship in 2005, Ismatov made a life for himself in the southwestern city of Saratov, working as a driver. Despite being thousands of kilometers away from Dushanbe, his social media activism caught the attention of Tajik authorities, leading to his extradition.

Ismatov, born in Soviet Tajikistan, faced accusations in a Russian court of providing false information on his citizenship application, which he vehemently denies as baseless slander. Despite his appeals, the court revoked his citizenship, resulting in his extradition to Tajikistan in 2023.

Once in Dushanbe, Ismatov was detained on charges of membership in an extremist group, but the case was later dropped by Tajik prosecutors under an amnesty. Stranded in Tajikistan with no means of income, Ismatov has been appealing to both Russian and Tajik authorities to reinstate his citizenship without success.

Prominent Tajik lawyer Shokirjon Hakimov suggested Ismatov could appeal to the Russian human rights ombudsman and UN representatives in Tajikistan. The case echoes similar events where Russia has deported Tajik activists like Karomat Sharifov and Izzat Amon, both stripped of their Russian citizenship on disputed charges.

Recent years have seen several Tajik activists deported to Tajikistan from Russia, highlighting the risks faced by dissidents, even those living abroad. Ismatov’s predicament underscores the challenges faced by individuals critical of the Tajik government, regardless of their citizenship status.