On May 14, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon signed into law amendments to the country’s criminal code that should effectively decriminalize “liking” content on the internet.
As Asia-Plus reported, First Deputy Prosecutor General Umed Karimzoda, who presented the bill to amend the criminal code to parliament last month, said that 1,507 people were in prison for liking videos and reports on the internet. According to Asia-Plus, the amendment to the law specifically says: “In the notes to Articles 179 (Supplement 3) and 307 (Supplement 1) of the Criminal Code, add the words ‘except for approval (putting a like or other sign).’”
The bill was adopted unanimously.
In 2018, Tajikistan’s parliament had amended Articles 179 and 307 of the Criminal Code, which refer to “public calls” to commit or justify terrorism and extremism, respectively, by adding “via the internet.” The change opened up a pathway for the authorities to bring criminal charges – with prison sentences up to 15 years – against individuals who “liked,” shared, or added emoji reactions to social media posts related to “terrorism” and “extremism-related” topics.
So why the reversal?
The precipitating cause for the change is arguably comments Rahmon made last October. While delivering a speech at the opening of a military training facility in Dushanbe, Rahmon said that “the involvement of some of our ignorant citizens in extremist groups and terrorist organizations is alarming.” But then he pivoted, noting that “along with significant results in the activities of law enforcement agencies, there are also numerous shortcomings”:
For example, recently the authorities consider the fact that some citizens like materials and videos distributed on social networks as evidence, as a result of which they experience enormous difficulties.
In other words, some agencies are groundlessly initiating criminal cases against them, these actions must be stopped.
A Tajik lawyer, in comments reported by Asia-Plus in November 2024, pointed to three possible reasons for Rahmon’s criticism. Lawyer Ranjet Yatimov cited Tajikistan’s international reputation, public discontent, and the broad, selective, application of the law.
“We expect that after the president’s order, cases of unfounded prosecution will decrease and prosecution for likes will cease,” Yatimov said, although at the time Tajikistan’s parliament would not comment.
In the years since the 2018 amendments were made, Tajik authorities across the country used the law selectively to punish individuals, sometimes even forcing violations. As a November 2024 Current Time TV report noted, “A common way for law enforcement to open a criminal case is when a person’s phone is temporarily taken away under the pretext of an inspection, and then they use it to log in and like content that is prohibited in Tajikistan, which then turns into a big problem for the person.”
Tajikistan is what Freedom House terms a “consolidated authoritarian regime.” In power since 1992, Rahmon is the longest-serving leader across the former Soviet Union. The “Leader of the Nation,” as a 2015 law dubbed him, is the ultimate authority. The 2018 amendments passed because he wanted them to, and so the reversal is also under his direction.
In January 2025, Asia-Plus ran an article titled “Don’t slander, don’t threaten, and don’t like: Internet rules every user in Tajikistan should know.”
Although the article outlined Tajikistan’s laws – including those guaranteeing freedom of speech – the piece concluded with a pragmatic assessment: “However, the existence of laws alone is not enough. Their proper enforcement is vital. When laws are ignored or violated without consequence, trust in the legal system and state institutions erodes. Without effective implementation, even the most progressive laws remain mere formalities, hindering societal development.”
And that’s worth repeating now that the amendments freeing Tajik citizens to “like” online again without fear of jail time have been signed into law. The existence of laws on paper is not enough; what matters is how laws are enforced – and unfortunately, Tajikistan has plenty of laws that can be weaponized against people for holding opinions contrary to the expectations of the powers-that-be.