Tajikistan’s Fallen Hero: Salim Shirinbekov

You are not Forgotten.

Berlin, Brussels (13/5 – 40)

The Ismaili Pamiris of Tajikistan are a tiny minority group in Central Asia, whose ancient homeland lies in the remote and forbidding mountains that straddle the borders of Afghanistan, China, and Russia. Despite their small numbers, they have long been targeted for persecution by the authoritarian government of Tajikistan. In recent years, this has escalated into a full-blown campaign of ethnic cleansing, with President Imomali Rahmon seeking to eradicate this community and replace them with ethnic Tajiks. The Pamiris reside in the Gorno-Badakhshan region (GBAO), which became a warzone in May 2022. Government security forces had swept through Vamar, indiscriminately killing, torturing, and jailing Pamiris whom they accused of committing “terrorist acts”. Salim Shirinbekov was a victim of this brutal onslaught.

Salim was one of the first casualties of the regime’s crackdown in Vamar. Reports showed that he was killed by the security forces. He was an athlete and lived in village of Vamar in Rushan. He had worked in Rushan for the last few years before his death. He died at the age of 42.