Tajik opposition activist Dilmurod Ergashev attempted to commit suicide before being deported from Germany to Tajikistan, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported with reference to the November 6 report of The Insider investigative group.
According to the report, German police officers found Ergashev lying in a pool of blood in a cell in a deportation center.
Ergashev reportedly cut himself in the stomach, body, and arms, and had damaged his veins. He received hospital treatment and in spite of his condition, Ergashev was still scheduled to be deported to Tajikistan on November 6.
“Realizing that returning to Tajikistan means inevitable reprisals and brutal repression by the [Tajik President] Emomali Rahmon’s regime, Ergashev attempted to commit suicide,” self-exiled Tajik opposition activist Sharofiddin Gadoev told The Insider.
“Ergashev would prefer death than falling into the hands of the ‘butchers’ of a regime known for its ruthless reprisals against political opponents,” Gadoev added.
The 40-year-old is a prominent member of Group 24, an opposition movement that is banned in Tajikistan and part of the Reforms and Development of Tajikistan movement established by exiled dissidents.
His activism has included participating in demonstrations in Berlin, notably during a protest against Rahmon’s visit to Germany in September 2023.
An administrative court in the German town of Kleve ruled to deport Ergashev on October 28.
Three days later, Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the court decision saying that returning Ergashev to Tajikistan would violate international law prohibiting “refoulement” — the practice of returning individuals to countries where they face the risk of torture or cruel, inhumane treatment.
This principle is enshrined in various international treaties to which Germany is a signatory, it said.
Germany has faced criticism for similar actions in the past. In 2023, two Tajik dissidents, Abdullohi Shamsiddin and Bilol Qurbonaliev, were deported to Tajikistan, where they were immediately detained and later sentenced to lengthy prison terms on dubious charges related to attempts to overthrow the constitutional order.
Ergashev has been in Germany since February 2011 and applied for asylum on political grounds that same year.
Despite several applications, his asylum requests have been consistently rejected.
According to his lawyer, German immigration authorities have expressed doubts about the sincerity of Ergashev’s commitment to opposition causes.
The Tajik government is known for its systematic persecution of opposition members, especially those affiliated with banned groups like Group 24.
A recent report by HRW highlighted Tajikistan as a country of major concern regarding transnational repression, noting that the government actively targets critics abroad on charges of extremism and terrorism, leading to severe penalties and mistreatment upon forced return.
HRW urged the German authorities to immediately suspend Ergashev’s deportation and conduct a thorough review of his protection needs, emphasizing that he should not be sent back to a country where he faces a serious risk of torture.
