SUMMARY

In the context of the civil war in Tajikistan, the Government of Tajikistan also used one-sided violence against its political opponents.

The intrastate conflict over government in Tajikistan erupted 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 of 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 1992, amid talks held between the government and the opposition over forming a coalition government of national unity, members of the National Security Committee killed at least 15 civilians when opening fire on a peaceful 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. Pro-communist forces, led by PFT, again came into power when Emomali Rahmon (Imomali Rakhmonov) took office in November 1992. Rahmon was to serve as president throughout the entire course of the conflict.

The one-sided violence perpetrated by the government occurred both when the government was UTO-controlled, and when it was PFT-controlled. Both groups justified the shootings of civilians by arguing that the victims were collaborating with the opposition.

The [Government of Tajikistan]/(#/actor/351) first became active as a one-sided actor in UCDP data in 1992, when the one-sided violence resulted in over 25 civilian deaths.