The poorest of the former Soviet Republics, Tajikistan lies in the heart of Central Asia. After declaring independence in 1991, the country fell into a civil war between the Moscow-backed government and an Islamic opposition. A peace agreement came in 1997 with the help of the United Nations, but Tajikistan still suffers from religious tensions.

 

Tajikistan has been under the rule of President Emomali Rahmon since 1994, largely because the president has quashed any form of opposition. Rahmon is known for trying to suppress any negative criticism he receives by punishing journalists who publish such criticism, and by shutting down the internet to the entire country.