Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported Tuesday that German authorities on June 20 deported Tajik opposition activist Asadullo Boboev and his adult son, Muhammad, to Dushanbe, despite warnings that Boboev faced detention and mistreatment on return.
HRW Europe and Central Asia director Hugh Williamson stated:
Germany is failing to uphold its international obligations to protect those in danger of mistreatment and serious violations of their rights if they are deported… Boboev’s criticism of the Tajik government made him a clear target, and Germany should investigate why he was deported under those circumstances and press Tajik authorities over his detention.
Boboev, 54, lived in Germany with his family since 2017, when he applied for asylum. His claim was ultimately rejected. The group said that Boboev had criticized President Emomali Rahmon’s government on social media and participated in the Reforms and Development of Tajikistan movement, which is a Europe-based platform of exiled Tajik activists and migrants that works for political and economic reforms. His wife and two daughters were allowed to remain in Germany as the German authorities detained Boboev and his 19-year-old son on June 8 in Kerken, North Rhine-Westphalia, based on a long-pending deportation order. A court in Geldern authorised their pre-removal detention until July 2, citing expired residence status and repeated failure to leave Germany voluntarily. Sharofiddin Gadoev, head of Reforms and Development of Tajikistan, said that Boboev’s lawyer had submitted evidence of the risks he faced, but that the court disregarded it.
The deportation follows the opportunity given to Boboev until July 1 to prove to a German court that he would face arrest if returned. Boboev said Tajik authorities had opened an extremism case against him over anti-government social media posts, a charge that Dushanbe frequently uses against critics and political opponents.
Boboev is the fourth documented Tajik opposition activist deported from Germany since 2023 who was detained upon arrival. The other three, Abdullohi Shamsiddin, Bilol Qurbonaliev, and Dilmurod Ergashev, were later sentenced to seven, 10, and eight years in prison, respectively.
The case raises renewed concerns over Germany’s obligations under the customary international law principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning a person to a country where they face a real risk of torture or serious rights violations under Article 33(1) of the 1951 Refugee Convention. Article 3 of the Convention against Torture similarly bars states from returning a person where there are substantial grounds to believe they would be in danger of torture.