Tajikistan decriminalises 'liking' social media posts deemed extremist
ALMATY (Reuters) - Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon signed a law on Wednesday removing criminal liability for "liking" posts on social media containing material that publicly calls for terrorism or other serious crimes, his press service said.
Official figures show more than 1,500 people have been jailed for liking and commenting on articles that the authorities consider extremist, including videos and posts by opposition figures.
Tajikistan is a landlocked country of some 10 million people sandwiched between Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and China. Security officials there in recent months have been grappling with a string of militant attacks, some of whose perpetrators have professed support for Islamic State.
In 2018, Tajik lawmakers passed amendments criminalising public justification of terrorism online, and authorities soon began prosecuting people for liking or reacting with emojis to posts or videos found to be supporting extremism. Those found guilty could be sent to prison for up to 15 years.
Last year, Rakhmon, who has led Tajikistan since 1994, spoke out publicly against the prosecutions, saying they should be "put an end to", according to Tajik media.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Japan confirms China's aircraft carrier sailed east of Iwo Jima for first time
TOKYO (Reuters) -The Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning sailed through waters east of the island of Iwo Jima in the Pacific Ocean for the first time, Japan's top government spokesperson said on Monday. Japan would strengthen surveillance and gather necessary information, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a regular press briefing in Tokyo. Japan has also sent "an appropriate message" to China, Hayashi said without elaborating. Iwo Jima is located 1,000 km (620 miles) south of Tokyo. A statement by Japan's Joint Staff showed over the weekend that the Liaoning, accompanied by some other ships, sailed in the sea within Japan's exclusive economic zone near Minamitorishima, a remote island east of Iwo Jima. Japan had also confirmed fighter jets and helicopters taking off and landing from Liaoning in the waters southeast of Iwo Jima on Sunday.


CNBC
4 hours ago
- CNBC
China exports growth misses expectations despite tariff truce; imports plunge amid weak consumption
China's exports growth missed expectations in May, despite a temporary trade truce with the U.S. that prompted businesses to frontload shipments and capitalize on the 90-day pause on steep duties. Exports rose 4.8% last month in U.S. dollar terms from a year earlier, customs data showed Monday, shy of Reuters' poll estimates of a 5% jump. Imports plunged 3.4% in May from a year earlier, a drastic drop compared to economists' expectations of a 0.9% fall. Imports had been declining this year, largely owed to sluggish domestic demand. Exports had surged 8.1% in April as a jump in shipment to Southeast Asian countries offset a sharp drop in outbound goods to the U.S. Chinese shipment to the U.S. plunged over 21% in April, as prohibitive tariffs kicked in. U.S. President Donald Trump's prohibitive 145% tariffs on Chinese goods took effect in April, with Beijing retaliating with triple-digit duties and other restrictive measures, such as export controls on critical minerals. U.S. and China struck a preliminary deal in Geneva, Switzerland, last month that led both sides to drop a majority of tariffs. Washington's levies on Chinese goods now stand at 51.1% while Beijing's duties on American imports are at 32.6%, according to think tank Peterson Institute for International Economics. The temporary tariff ceasefire is expected to have triggered a renewed surge in trade as exporters and importers alike in China and the U.S. seek to frontload shipments, sending shipping costs soaring. Chinese Vice Premier and lead trade representative He Lifeng is expected to meet with the U.S. trade negotiation team led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in London later in the day for renewed trade talks. The second-round of meetings come after tensions flared up again between the two sides, as they accused each other of violating the Geneva trade agreement. Washington had blamed Beijing for slow-walking its pledge to approve the export of additional critical minerals to the U.S., while China criticized the U.S. decision to impose new restrictions on Chinese student visas and additional export restrictions on chips. China's Ministry of Commerce said on Saturday that it would continue to review and approve applications for export of rare earths, citing growing demand for the minerals in robotics and new energy vehicle sectors.


New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
2,000 LA anti-ICE rioters takeover 101 Freeway downtown as self-driving cars lit on fire in chaotic scene
Around 2,000 anti-ICE protesters took over a major highway in downtown Los Angeles while rioters lit self-driving cars on fire Sunday as the third day of demonstrations erupted in more chaos and destruction. The massive crowd moved onto the 101 Freeway, blocking traffic around 4 p.m. local time, according to the LAPD. 3 California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers clear protestors who were blocking the 101 freeway on June 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images 3 California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers stand in a cloud of tear gas during a protest against federal immigration sweeps, in downtown Los Angeles, California, June 8, 2025. REUTERS The protesters blocked both lanes of the freeway, bringing traffic to a standstill as authorities in riot gear created a line beneath a bridge to prevent them from moving forward, the LAPD Central Division wrote on X. California Highway Patrol officers in riot gear responded and corralled the crowd onto an exit ramp, forcing the protesters off the freeway. Gas canisters were seen being dispersed by officers, according to NBC Los Angeles. 3 A demonstrator gestures while posing for a photo in front of a burning car during a protest against federal immigration sweeps in downtown Los Angeles, California, June 8, 2025. REUTERS The freeway was reopened to car traffic a little more than an hour later. This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates.