Region: Tajikistan

Dictators are using digital tools to repress and suppress democratic dissent, reinforcing digital authoritarianism. Our latest report looks at what’s happening in the EECA region, and how pro-democracy activists are fighting back against digital dictatorship.

“Digital dictatorship: authoritarian tactics and resistance in Eastern Europe and Central Asia” unpacks the tools of oppression in the region, and explores resistance.

Hear from people in Sudan, Yemen, and Tajikistan impacted by authorities’ reckless internet shutdowns during conflict and crisis.

Turkmenistan internet shutdowns are extreme. Here’s why the international community must take action to combat the wave of online censorship engulfing Central Asia.

As of today, Oct. 10, SMS services are being blocked in Tajikistan. Though Tajik authorities deny responsibility for any blocking or disruptions, many observers say the government is attempting to thwart a planned rally by Group 24, an opposition organization labeled extremist by the Tajik Supreme Court.

Access recently released a paper by Peter Bourgelais, an Access Tech Fellow, highlighting the growing electronic surveillance in post-Soviet Central Asia and the difficulties of regulating its manufacture and distribution. In Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, Russian-made technologies and companies dominate the market, and techniques that have limited regulatory efficacy elsewhere — such as export controls and public campaigning — are much less effective.