I remember when the first Zello application radio channel called „New Tajikistan” opened in 2014, I was probably one of the first to join it. We discussed various topics for more than 15 days, and after that we decided to invite several politicians to tell the audience about the political, social and economic life of Tajikistan. And the first to respond to our call was the Umarali Kuvvatov. Our first conversation with him was very interesting. We, young people, saw a real patriot in his face, and in this conversation most people did not even have time to ask questions. And this prompted us to ask him to find time to come to us again. Umarali Kuvvatov agreed and came to us regularly, twice a week. Thanks to him, the ranks of our listeners grew every day, and anti-government sentiment intensified. Umarali Kuvvatov in a short time became a favorite of hearts, and his name became popular…
We can say that he was the first Tajik politician who began to work directly with the people and was able to break stereotypes about political struggle. Such a way of working and communicating with people, in politics over the past 20 years have not met in the style of a single Tajik politician, and people who longed for such a style have accepted and loved him. It was in his person that Rakhmonov(The President of Tajikistan since 1994) saw a serious threat to himself and began to pursue Umarali Kuvvatov and his supporters.
Umarali Kuvvatov and several of his followers were arrested and imprisoned at the end of 2014 at the request of the Rakhmonov government, and in the same year they were released and resumed their struggle. Umarali Kuvvatov was re-arrested and imprisoned in 2015 in Turkey, at the request of the dictatorial government of Rakhmonov. But soon, after protests at the Turkish embassies in Russia, he was released and was not extradited to Tajikistan. After his release, the dictatorial government of Rakhmonov understands that it is possible to destroy Kuvvatov only physically.
In March 2015, in Turkey, Sulaymon Kayumov, a traitor, one of Rakhmonov’s mercenaries, invited Umarali Kuvvatov and his family to visit, poisoned him, and then shot him in front of his two young children.
Umarali Kuvvatov always said that he would fight the bloody regime of Emomali Rakhmonov until the last drop of blood and would never abandon this path, and in fact remained faithful to his ideals until the last breath. I can say that it is thanks to his truthfulness, honesty and courage that many young people today follow the example of Umarali Kuvvatov and continue his struggle for the sake of the goal that he set for himself.
Although Umarali Kuvvatov is not with us today, his motto is alive, and his followers will continue his journey. The followers of this martyr today are trying to achieve his goal and make his soul happy.
If Rakhmonov had not killed him, Umarali Kuvvatov would have turned 53 today. May Allah honor his memory and give him a place in paradise. Amen!
Ubaidullo Saidi, member of political movement “Group 24”
