DUSHANBE, July 26, 2012, Asia-Plus -- Tajik nationals are going to stage protests at Tajikistan’s Embassy in Washington today against the military operation in Gorno Badakhshan.

On Wednesday July 25, a group of nationals of Tajikistan staying in the United States staged protests at the UN Headquarters in News York against the military operation in Khorog.  Tajik nationals who are currently living in New York, Washington and New Jersey participated in that action.  In all, some 30 people gathered outside the UN Headquarters in New York.

The demonstrators adopted an appeal to international community, in particular to the representative offices of the United Nations, the OSCE, the European Commission as well as diplomatic missions of democratic countries accredited in Tajikistan, expressing concern over the ongoing military operation and asking to provide assistance with settlement of the situation.

The appeal, in particular, says that the military operation, involving more than 3,000 servicemen, armored personnel carriers and helicopters, was launched early in the morning of July 24 in the densely populated areas of Khorog without notifying the civilian population and providing evacuation of the civilian population.  Communication lines to Gorno Badakhshan are cut off and all roads leading to Khorog are blocked.  Thus, more than 30,000 people living in Khorog, including women and children, have become the pawns in the clashes.  Indeed, persons confronting the government forces are in Khorog, but this, however, cannot serve as justification for the situation, when lives of innocent people are put under threat, the appeal noted.

We consider that actions of the Tajik authorities violate obligations taken by the Republic of Tajikistan in line with the UN Charter, Universal Human Rights Declaration, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other UN conventions on human rights as well as the OSCE human dimension commitments and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, the appeal said.

The next demonstration to protest against the military operation in Khorog will take place at the Tajik Embassy in Washington today.