Tajik opposition activist reportedly attempts suicide in Germany to protest deportation

On the day he was set to be deported from Germany to Tajikistan, Dilmurod Ergashev reportedly attempted suicide.  According to Gadoyev, German police officers arriving at the deportation center to escort him to Düsseldorf Airport found him in his cell lying in a pool of blood. 

Ergashev reportedly inflicted multiple cuts on himself, including to his abdomen, body, and arms, damaging his veins.  Several deep wounds required surgical intervention and stitches at a hospital.  

As it had been reported earlier, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on October 31 that an administrative court in Germany has ordered the deportation of Dilmurod Ergashev, an activist of the opposition movement Group 24.   

HRW noted that international law, including multiple treaties to which Germany is bound, prohibits “refoulement,” returning a person to a country where they are at risk of torture or cruel or inhumane treatment.

Ergashev has reportedly taken part in several demonstrations in front of Tajikistan’s Embassy in Berlin, including the September 2023 protest during Tajik President Emomali Rahmon’s visit to Germany.

According to HRW, he has lived in Germany since February 2011 and first applied for asylum on political grounds that month.  He has had several asylum requests rejected by German authorities since.

German authorities should immediately suspend Ergashev's deportation and conduct a thorough review of his protection needs, says a statement released by HRW.