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In Tajikistan, individuals punished solely for liking posts on social media may now be able to seek a review of their convictions — but only if they were sentenced solely for online reactions and not under multiple articles of the Criminal Code. This clarification was provided to journalists by Rustam Mirzozoda, chairman of the Supreme Court, Asia-Plus reports.
However, Mirzozoda noted that most cases involving likes on posts or videos also include charges under other sections of the law. In such instances, current legislation does not allow for appeals or sentence reductions.
“Still, if the conviction was based solely on likes or reposts, the courts are prepared to reconsider the sentence,” he said.
According to Mirzozoda, no appeals on these grounds have yet been filed with the Supreme Court.
The media outlet adds that a similar position was previously expressed by Navruz Odinaev, founder of the legal firm Khimoya. He explained that Tajikistan’s Criminal Code permits retroactive application of laws that mitigate punishment or decriminalize certain acts. As a result, recent amendments abolishing criminal liability for online reactions may affect not only future cases, but also already closed ones.
In 2018, amendments to Article 179(3) of the Criminal Code — “Public calls to commit terrorist crimes and/or public justification of terrorist activity” — introduced penalties for such actions on the internet, including likes, reposts, and comments. Those found guilty could face prison terms ranging from 5 to 15 years.
In October 2024, President Emomali Rahmon instructed the Ministry of Internal Affairs to stop prosecuting citizens over social media likes. He called such accusations against internet users groundless and emphasized the need to put an end to such law enforcement practices.
In May of this year, it was officially confirmed that Rahmon had signed a law abolishing criminal liability for likes and other reactions on social networks.
A month earlier, speaking in parliament, First Deputy Prosecutor General Umed Karimzoda shared data showing that as of April 2025, 1,507 people in Tajikistan were imprisoned for liking videos or commenting on publications containing “terrorist or extremist content.”
