You are not Forgotten.
Berlin, Brussels (15/5 – 40)
The Ismaili Pamiris of Tajikistan are a tiny minority group in Central Asia, whose ancient homeland lies in the remote and forbidding mountains that straddle the borders of Afghanistan, China, and Russia. Despite their small numbers, they have long been targeted for persecution by the authoritarian government of Tajikistan. In recent years, this has escalated into a full-blown campaign of ethnic cleansing, with President Imomali Rahmon seeking to eradicate this community and replace them with ethnic Tajiks. The Pamiris reside in the Gorno-Badakhshan region (GBAO), which became a warzone in May 2022. Government security forces had swept through Vamar, indiscriminately killing, torturing, and jailing Pamiris whom they accused of committing “terrorist acts”. Amonjon Sodikov was a victim of this brutal onslaught.
Amonjon was a resident in the village of Vamar in Rushan, Tajikistan. He was married and had two daughters. He and Ismat Sharipov were neighours in Vamar. Amonjon was in the construction business and was building his own house.
According to reports, Amonjon participated in the protest and was brutally killed by the security forces on 18 May 2022. Family members and his colleagues shared that Amonjon, whom the regime accused of possessing weapons, did not carry a weapon during the protest and may have seen weapons only during his military service.
On the days of the protests, none of the protesters had weapons.
Before going to the protest demonstration, he left his carpentry tools in front of his family and told them that the tools were souvenirs for his friends in case he did no return alive. Amonjon’s passing left his house half-built. The villagers helped and continued to build the unfinished house together for the family.
