When The Victim Is Guilty: Gender Bias In Tajik, Kyrgyz Courts

Two recent court cases, one in Tajikistan and the other in Kyrgyzstan, point once again to discrimination against women in Central Asian courts. On October 27, a Tajik court found young fashion designer Parvin Jahongiri guilty of defamation while the daily Vecherny Dushanbe (Vecherka) was found guilty of libel for publishing her story of verbal and physical abuse. Fighting Back In May 2019, Jahongiri presented her new fashion line, Virgo, at the Tajik Fashion Week 19 spring and summer collection. Her style was described as "street casual especially for women free from the prejudices set by society." Her work had impressed the director of Tajik Fashion Week, Tohir Ibrahimov, who...