Tajikistan’s Fallen Hero: Munir Nasrullobekov

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You are not Forgotten.

Berlin, Brussels (11/5 – 40)

In the vast and remote mountain lands of Central Asia, the Ismaili Pamiris have long faced systemic discrimination and persecution at the hands of the Tajik government. Despite their proud history, rich cultural traditions, and highly educated populace, they have been targeted for cultural extermination in a chilling campaign of ethnic cleansing. Tajikistan President Imomali Rahmon has demonized them as “inbred” and “criminals” and launched a brutal program to replace their community with ethnic Tajiks. In May and June 2022, the government launched a final assault on the Pamiris to end their autonomy and bring them under the total control of the state. Heavily armed security forces rampaged into the town of Vamar, where protestors calling for respect for human rights had peacefully blocked the Pamiri Highway. There and in other towns of the Gorno-Badakhshan region (GBAO), protestors and passers-by were shot dead, maimed, and taken to prisons to be tortured and degraded. Munir Nasrullobekov was just one of the many innocent victims of this genocidal campaign.

According to reports, he was killed by the security forces. His corpse was naked when found, with traces of torture.

Munir was born on January 26, 1996 in the village of Barzud, Rushan district. From 2014 to 2018, he served in the military in Dushanbe and Lakhsh district. After military service, he returned to the village. However, due to the torture by the government and difficult living conditions, he immigrated to Russia. In the fall of 2021, Munir returned to Tajikistan to get married in the village.

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