Date of publication:
01/08/2026
Tajikistan
Do domestic laws and policies explicitly prohibit the recruitment or involvement of children in hostilities?
Assessment by population
Analysis
Yes, Tajikistan's domestic laws and policies explicitly prohibit the recruitment or involvement of children under the age of 18 in hostilities. The country's Law on Military Duty and Military Service (Article No. 29) sets the minimum age for conscription at 18.
As for stateless persons and foreign citizens, including refugees, Article No. 23 of the Law of the Republic of Tajikistan on the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons states that foreign citizens and stateless persons are not subject to military service in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan or other military formations.
Additionally, Tajikistan is a party to international agreements such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and its Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (OPAC), both of which prohibit the recruitment and use of children in hostilities. The Criminal Code of Tajikistan also criminalizes the recruitment of minors into armed forces or armed groups.
Related provisions of domestic law or policy
Law of the Republic of Tajikistan on Military Duty and Military Service
- Year: 2023
- Type: Domestic law
- Rights Category: Work & Workplace rights
- Link to external source: http://portali-huquqi.tj/publicadliya/view_qonunhoview.php?showdetail=&asosi_id=24423
Legal provision
Article No.29. Citizens Subject to Conscription for Mandatory Military Service
Male citizens aged 18 to 27 who are registered for military service or who are required to be registered for military service and do not have the right to deferment or exemption from conscription for mandatory military service are subject to conscription into the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan, as well as other troops and military formations where military service is provided for under this Law, for positions of soldiers and sergeants.