Six years have passed since the tragic death of Umarali Kuvvatov, the founder of the Group of 24 political movement. This is the sixth spring without him: for his wife and children, his relatives and relatives, the flowering of trees and the aroma of the spring wind, the Navruz holiday have lost colors and significance. With the advent of spring, they expect that sad day on March 5, 2015 and experience those terrible moments over and over again.
The martyr on the path of rights and freedoms Umarali Kuvvatov was one of the most successful entrepreneurs who in a short period of time were able to make a valuable contribution to the development of Tajikistan’s economy. He became one of the most influential figures in the country, having founded a number of commercial and industrial enterprises and created thousands of jobs. However, his wealth and, most importantly, influence in society did not give rest to the Rakhmonov family. At the direction of the Rakhmonov family, a detailed plan was drawn up on how to take possession of the property of Umarali Kuvvatov and get rid of him himself. After all the property was confiscated by Rakhmonov’s son-in-law, Umarali Kuvvatov was planned to be imprisoned as Zayd Saidov. However, Umarali Kuvvatov learned about the nefarious plans of the Rakhmonov family and went to Russia to participate in the political struggle. The beginning of the political activity of Umarali Kuvvatov coincided with the events of 2012 in Khorog. When the criminal regime of Rakhmonov killed about 25-30 young, freedom fighters in order to suppress the popular uprising and break the spirit of the Khorogts. Umarali Kuvvatov with bold and frank speeches among Tajik migrants, exposed and condemned this next crime of the repressive regime of Rakhmonov and his other anti-people and anti-national actions and called on people to realize this. The ideas and appeals of Umarali Kuvvatov, who spoke among migrants, received many supporters and formed a community, which will later be renamed the Group of 24 Political Movement, in memory of the young people killed by the Rakhmonov government in Khorog on June 24, 2012. This movement quickly became a powerful force and shook the foundations of Rakhmonov’s despotic regime. The Tajik government believed that this force could lead to the overthrow of the regime in the future, so it tried by all means to detain the leaders and supporters of the movement and gain absolute control in the country. This situation forced Umarali Kuvvatov and his associates to leave Russia. But abroad, the Rakhmonov regime did not leave opponents alone. Umarali Kuvvatov was arrested in Dubai at the request of Tajikistan in late 2012 and released in September 2013, after spending some time in prison on unfounded charges.
But this did not break his strong spirit, but gave new strength. He returned to Russia and united struggling migrants around him, becoming an influential leader and expanding the activities of the Group of 24 political movement.
In 2014, in almost all major cities of Russia, Umarali Kuvvatov, speeches and propaganda, called on thousands of labor migrants to show self-consciousness and vigilance and became a major political figure. But again, under pressure, he left Russia, and took refuge in Turkey. There he spent some time in prison in 2014 with his deputy Suhrob Zafar and several other associates, but the court again released them, acquitting them of fabricated charges.
But Rakhmonov did not stop, he went the other way and soon a plan appeared, the purpose of which was the physical destruction of Umarali Kuvvatov. To carry out this heinous plan, they sent a group of killers to Turkey. On March 5, 2015, members of the group poisoned Umarali Kuvvatov, his wife and children, as well as several of his comrades.
When Umarali Kuvvatov learned about this vile plan of the enemy, he went out of the house into the street. And at that moment, one of Rakhmonov’s mercenaries shot him in the back. Umarali Kuvvatov was buried in Turkey.
For 6 years now, on this day, on the land of the martyr of freedom Umarali Kuvvatov, a man of truth and honesty, greenery appears and flowers of his unfulfilled dreams bloom, his face is wet with tears of rain. Every year on this day, his comrades and associates recall him and claim that his path continues, and year after year, the followers of the political movement “Group of 24” – a new political process that awakens people from sleep, become stronger. On this day, every year, his comrades gather in one of the countries to honor the memory of the founder of the Group of 24 political movement, read sura from the Holy Qur’an, and remember his work. This year, on March 5, his comrades will hold a memorial service for Umarali Kuvvatov online, in connection with the sanitary crisis of KOVID-19 and the closure of borders. And while the political movement “Group-24” is active in the political arena of Tajikistan, this tradition will continue.
The path laid by Umarali Kuvvatov at the cost of life is a way to save the people from the arbitrariness of the Rakhmonov regime, a way to a bright future, a way to build a democratic, law-abiding and prosperous society. With us is God and the willing of the people of Tajikistan.
Group of 24 political movement
