Khamrokhon Zarifi

Hamrokhon Zarifi (; born Hamrokhon Zaripovich Zaripov, 25 December 1948) is a Tajik diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan from 2006 to 2013. He previously served as ambassador to the United States, Austria, and Japan, and as Tajikistan's Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). In February 2025, Zarifi was sentenced to 27 years in prison after being convicted of treason and attempting to overthrow the government.

Early life and education

Zarifi was born on 25 December 1948 in the Baldzhuvan (or Vose) district near Kulob in the Khatlon Region of the Tajik SSR, Soviet Union. From 1966 to 1971, he studied at the Kulyab State Pedagogical Institute (now Kulob State University), graduating from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics.

Career

In 1972, Zarifi served in the Soviet Navy. He later served in the KGB of the Tajik Soviet Republic and retired with the rank of colonel. In 1993, Zarifi joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan as Deputy Chief of the Personnel Department. In 2003, he was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Tajikistan to the United States, serving until 2006. Zarifi was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs on 1 December 2006, replacing Talbak Nazarov. From 2015 until his retirement in 2018, Zarifi served as Ambassador of Tajikistan to Japan.

The Tajik Golden Heritage

Zarifi authored The Tajik Golden Heritage, a book on Tajik arts and crafts from ancient times to the present. The book was published in multiple editions and translated into Tajik, Russian, Persian, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, and German. Over 500 pictures are featured, including 16 ancient exhibits from Zarifi's family collection. Within days, several other prominent figures were detained, including Zarifi. In his final statement on 22 January 2025, Zarifi rejected all accusations, stating that after retirement he had fully dedicated himself to science and stepped away from politics. On 5 February 2025, the Supreme Court of Tajikistan found Zarifi guilty on multiple charges including treason and violent seizure of power. The appeals filed by Zarifi and other defendants were rejected by the Supreme Court in April 2025.