Valentina Kasymbekova
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New law makes it easier for courts to impose fines instead of custodial sentences, but young offenders are unlikely to be able to pay.
The south of the country has seen a rise in border trade with Afghanistan, but some fear a new influx of heroin.
Opposition parties fail to reach consensus on fielding a common candidate in November’s presidential election.
Police and other officials at the heart of the system get hefty pay rises, which critics say are a ploy to keep them on board for a crucial election later this year.
Tajiks ignore concerns expressed by government and Islamic figures and spend every penny they earn or borrow on lavish weddings and funerals.
Officials in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan call for curbs on “politicised” non-government groups.
Calls for restrictions on weddings between close relatives are falling on deaf ears.
A new effort to enforce planning regulations seems designed to make Dushanbe a better place to live, but will the poor suffer more than the rich?
Relatives allege leaders of a prison revolt were beaten and some possibly killed after an uprising in protest at conditions in jail.
Though most agree they do good work, women-led NGOs are vulnerable to accusations of being too close to the government.