Russian Citizenship Revoked from Tajik Activist, Leaving Him Stateless

Qadam Ismatov, a 60-year-old ethnic Tajik, has found himself in a stateless limbo after his Russian citizenship was revoked, rendering him stranded in Tajikistan.

Once a vocal critic of the Tajik government, Ismatov’s troubles began when he was extradited from Russia to Dushanbe due to alleged ties to the banned opposition movement Group 24.

Living in Russia since the early 1990s, Ismatov obtained Russian citizenship in 2005 and established a life in the city of Saratov, working as a driver and engaging in social media activism.

The sudden revocation of his citizenship by a Russian court in 2021, on grounds of providing false information, set off a chain of events that led to his extradition.

Although the case against Ismatov was dropped by Tajik prosecutors later on, he remains without a country to call home, pleading with both Russian and Tajik authorities to reinstate his citizenship.

Currently based in Tajikistan, Ismatov is enduring financial and emotional hardship, with his future uncertain and appeals unanswered by the Russian Embassy in Dushanbe.

Notable legal expert Shokirjon Hakimov suggests that Ismatov could seek recourse with the Russian human rights ombudsman and UN representatives in Tajikistan, potentially paving the way for compensation for damages suffered.

In a region where political activism often faces suppression, instances like the deportation of Tajik activists Karomat Sharifov and Izzat Amon from Russia underscore the complexities faced by dissenters with ties to multiple nations.

RFE/RL, declared an ‘undesirable organization’ in Russia, highlights the challenges journalists and activists encounter in navigating international legal landscapes, especially in the politically charged regions of Tajikistan and Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine.