The 1992 Tajikistan protests, also known as the Tajikistani Revolution, were nonviolent, bloodless protests and demonstrations against the results of the 1991 Tajik presidential election. These results were thought to be rigged and in favour of the president Rahmon Nabiyev. Opposition rallies erupted on 26 March 1992 but demonstrations became large-scale by May, at the onset of violence. These series of peaceful protests would lead to the bloody Tajikistani Civil War.[1]
| 1992 Tajikistan protests | |
|---|---|
 An anti-government rally at Shakhidon square, Dushanbe in May 1992 | |
| Date | 26 March 1992 - 7 September 1992 |
| Location | |
| Caused by |
|
| Goals |
|
| Methods | Demonstrations |
| Resulted in |
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| Deaths and injuries | |
| Death(s) | 1 |
| Injuries | unknown |
Background
editTajikistan was part of the Soviet Union as the Tajik SSR. The introduction of perestroika and glasnost policies by Mikhail Gorbachev, last president of the USSR led to a series of political and economic upheavals that led to the unraveling of the political and economic system in place and greater influence by actors outside the Communist Party. In 1990, the Dushanbe riots took place against immigration from outside the republic and the government. After the failed August coup against Gorbachev in 1991, the republican authorities proclaimed independence and set presidential elections on November 24, which was won by communist leader Rahmon Nabiyev in disputed circumstances.[2]
Protests
editProtests surrounding the election results escalated into clashes in March 1992, but soon subsided. Quiet protests and small demonstrations took place in April. Mass strikes and major demonstrations then resumed throughout the country, demanding the resignation of the government and President Nabiyev. The government responded by arming militias and quelling the demonstrators with guns and tanks, sparking more clashes. The unrest spiraled out of control, with a particular clash in Khujand, Tajikistan's second-largest city, sparking the 5 year long Tajikistani Civil War. After weeks of mass strikes and demonstrations, the protesters captured the Nabiyev and forced him to resign.[3][4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Pannier, Bruce (23 June 2017). "Tajikistan's Civil War: A Nightmare The Government Won't Let Its People Forget". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. rferl.
- ^ "The Dynamics of the Peace Process in Tajikistan". Noria. 15 January 2018.
- ^ Political Construction Sites: Nation-building in Russia and the Post-Soviet States Archived 2016-01-16 at the Wayback Machine, page 76.
- ^ "Tajikistan - Government". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.