Ms. Oinikhol Bobonazarova

Oinikhol Bobonazarova is a pioneer of the human rights movement in Tajikistan and one of the country’s most well-known female human rights activists. Since the end of the Tajik civil war in 1997, Ms. Bobonazarova has worked tirelessly to draw attention to women’s rights, torture in detention centers, and the plight of Tajik migrant laborers. In September 2013, Ms. Bobonazarova became the first ever female candidate for President of Tajikistan when the only Islamic political party in Central Asia nominated her as its standard bearer. Since her unsuccessful bid for the presidency, Ms. Bobonazarova has continued to speak out against torture and has been instrumental in working with the NGO association “Coalition Against Torture” and the Ombudsman’s Office to establish the first independent prison monitoring program since prisons were closed to outside access in 2004.