Tajik lawmakers have approved amendments to the law that would ban individuals with dual citizenship from serving in the country’s security services.

Tajikistan’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament yesterday considered and endorsed amendments proposed to the country’s laws on the national security bodies and public service.

Presenting to lawmakers the amendments that would ban individuals with dual citizenship from serving in the country’s security services, the first deputy head of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS), Mansourjon Umarov, said the goal of the amendments was to protect national interests and prevent classified information from being leaked.

Besides, individuals serving in the security services should be knowledgeable of the Tajik (state) language, Umarov added.

The proposed legislation now has to be seconded by the upper house (Majlisi Milli) of parliament and then signed by President Emomali Rahmon to become law.

The Majlisi Namoyandagon yesterday also approved amendments proposed to the country’s law on public service.  They, in particular, ban dual citizenship for Tajik public servants.  

It is to be noted that Tajikistan has an agreement on dual citizenship only with the Russian Federation.

Today there are 18,000 public servants in Tajikistan.  

Under Tajikistan’s legislation, the public service system includes public civil service, public military service, and law enforcement public service.

The public service law reportedly applies to political and administrative public servants.