SUMMARY

Targeted violence against civilians, committed by the Popular Front of Tajikistan (PFT), occurred on at least three specific incidents and an alleged massacre in 1992. The killing of civilians was closely related to the state-based conflict fought over government power in Tajikistan between 1992 and 1998 (see Tajikistan: Government. The conflict erupted in Tajikistan shortly after independence had been achieved. The opposition did not acknowledge the results of the November 1991 elections that had reaffirmed communist leader Rakhmon Nabiyev as president. The opposition, an alliance of Islamist and democratic forces later on forming the United Tajik Opposition (UTO), organized rallies against the government during spring 1992, which eventually escalated after violent skirmishes occurred and armed opposition forces took control over parts of the capital in early May.

On 10 May, amid talks held between the government and the opposition over forming a coalition government of national unity, members of the National Security Committee killed 15 civilians when opening fire on a demonstration in Dushanbe. Despite the killing of civilians, the government and the opposition reached an agreement, which, however, was not able to halt the conflict from escalating further. After Nabiyev resigned on 7 September 1992, Mahmadruzi Iskandarov, representing UTO, became president for a short period of two months. The pro-communist forces, including PFT, again came into power when Imomali Rakhmonov took office in November 1992. Rakhmonov was to serve as president throughout the entire course of the conflict.

In mid-November 1992, PFT members carried out a massacre in Yovon district, killing at least 50 civilians, wounding many more and forcing people to flee.

PFT first became active as a one-sided actor in UCDP data in 1992, when one-sided violence resulted in over 25 civilian deaths. The threshold was reached on 12 November that year when PFT killed at least 50 civilians in Yovon town of Yovon district.

PFT has also carried out one-sided violence as part of the government of Tajikistan