While the government of Tajikistan’s long-standing ruler grows more repressive, Switzerland continues to support human rights – a delicate balancing act.

This spring, for the first time, Tajikistan held parliamentary elections without independent, international observers. As in previous elections, the process was marked by irregularities. The country’s largest opposition party has been banned for a decade.

Tajikistan, a Central Asian country with around ten million inhabitants, has been a focus of Swiss development cooperation for 25 years. Nearly one in ten people there has access to water thanks to Swiss-funded projects. From basic services to broader social initiatives, some projects have had a tangible impact.