The tragic death of Qulmamad Pallaev, a civic activist and fighter for truth, is not only an open crime committed by the authoritarian regime of Tajikistan but also a bitter reflection of the government’s weakness and the silence of the nation.
A government that maintains its power through torture, oppression, and the killing of its dissidents is not strong, but rather one that is fearful and incapable. The death of Qulmamad in prison, coupled with the regime’s negligent indifference to his health, is clear evidence that this regime not only fears the truth but also tramples upon human rights and the laws of justice in order to survive.
Pallaev sacrificed his life in the battle for justice and citizens’ rights. He was neither a criminal nor a traitor. He was a free thinker who defended justice and the rights of his people. However, the government threw him into prison, tortured him, and ultimately condemned him to death. This hidden murder was carried out under the guise of “passing away from this or that illness.”
But let us raise an important question: when the government commits such atrocities, where is the nation? Our silence, the silence of the people, the silence of the nation, makes us indirect accomplices in these crimes. Every murder, every act of torture, every injustice carried out by the authoritarian regime that we accept without reaction is a sign of our own weakness as a nation.
How long will we remain passive observers? How long will we hide behind our silence? It is this very fear, this silence, this indifference to the death of a man who fought for truth, that makes us weaker in the hands of the authoritarian government.
The death of Pallaev should be a wake-up call for every person with a conscience. We must understand that a government that kills its free thinkers has no connection to justice. A government that tortures its people is not a government, but an enemy of the people. And when we remain silent, we become complicit in this tyranny.
On behalf of the Tajik Youth for the Revival of Tajikistan, we firmly declare that the death of Qulmamad Pallaev is a disgrace to the authoritarian regime and a painful arrow to the conscience of our nation’s silence. The time has come for the nation to awaken, for the people to raise their voices against this injustice, and for no more free thinkers to lose their lives in this tragic silence.
Qulmamad Pallaev is alive because every drop of his blood beats in the heart of every person with an awakened conscience. But the key question is: when will we truly come alive?
With deep anger and sorrow,
Tajik Youth for the Revival of Tajikistan
