Khizbullo Shovalizoda was positive that Austria would be a safe place for him to express his dissent without fear of retribution, safe from the long reach of the Tajik authorities.
What the 28-year-old activist did not know, however, is that European countries are increasingly failing to honour the norms set out in the UN’s 1951 Refugee Convention, which for 70 years has served as a beacon of protection for refugees the world over.
Initially, the Austrian authorities seemed to observe the tradition of international protection in Shovalizoda’s case. They rejected an extradition request from Tajikistan, which is known for its authoritarian climate, following an investigation that showed the charges of extremism and terrorism brought against him were politically motivated. But then the Austrian Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum and the courts overruled this decision and denied Khizbullo protection.
