A/HRC/55/47/Add.1 Annex Report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Nazila Ghanea, on her visit to Tajikistan I. Introduction 1. In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Nazila Ghanea, reflects the findings from her official visit to Tajikistan from 11 to 20 April 2023. She acknowledges the cooperation the Government extended to her by accommodating most of her requests for meetings and granting her unimpeded access to various institutions, including Vahdat Prison 3/1. She very much regrets that the authorities did not facilitate official meetings in Kŭhistoni Badakhshon Autonomous Province. She thanks the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its coordination. 2. The Special Rapporteur is grateful for the support of the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office and regional presence of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Dushanbe. She appreciated all the constructive meetings held during her visit with interlocutors from government ministries and agencies, civil society organizations, religious associations and communities and with faith-based actors, which gave her an insight into their experience, assessments and visions. She also held meetings with members of the United Nations country team, the diplomatic community in Dushanbe, regional and international human rights organizations, human rights lawyers, journalists and scholars. Civil society members asked to remain anonymous for fear of State reprisals, which speaks volumes about the overall human rights climate in the country.1 The invitation by the Tajik National University to give a lecture during the visit is appreciated. The Special Rapporteur and her team took note of the report on the mission to Tajikistan carried out by the former mandate holder, Asma Jahangir, from 26 February to 1 March 2007.2 3. According to article 1 of the Constitution, Tajikistan is a secular State. Pursuant to article 26, freedom of religion or belief is upheld. However, as outlined below, despite certain achievements, in Tajikistan the legal environment for freedom of religion or belief has sharply declined since the mandate holder’s visit in 2007. II. Political and historical context 4. Under Soviet auspices, Tajikistan was first created as an Autonomous Republic within Uzbekistan in 1924. It gained the status of a full Soviet Socialist Republic in 1929, including the additional territory of Leninabad (now Sughd Province). After the failed coup in Moscow and declarations of independence by other Central Asian States, Tajikistan proclaimed itself an independent republic on 9 September 1991. 5. In 1992, civil war broke out in Tajikistan between opposing political, regional and religious factions. It is estimated that between 50,000 and 100,000 lives were lost during that war and almost 1 million people were forced to flee their homes. From 1994 to 1997, the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan monitored the ceasefire agreement between the Government of Tajikistan and the United Tajik Opposition, a coalition of Islamic leaders and secular politicians. Under the auspices of the United Nations, the Government and the United Tajik Opposition concluded the General Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and National Accord in Tajikistan on 27 June 1997. Subsequently, the Mission’s mandate was expanded to help monitor implementation of the agreement. The Mission 1 2 2 See https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/12/tajikistan-human-rights-defenders-faceincreasing-threats-climate-fear-says. A/HRC/7/10/Add.2. GE.24-00093