Voters in Tajikistan on Sunday approved changes to the country’s constitution that will allow President Emomali Rahmon to rule indefinitely, officials said Monday. Voters approved amendments [AP report] to remove presidential term limits, lower the minimum age for presidential candidates from 35 to 30 and ban religiously based political parties. The first provision allows Rakhmon, 63, to extend his rule, which he has held since 1992. The second provision would allow his son, Rustam Emomali, 29, to be able to run for president in the next election in 2020. The final provision would continue to ban the main opposition Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan, which was declared a terrorist organization and banned last year. Election authorites reported that the 41 proposed amendments were approved by 94.5 percent of voters [RFE/RL report], with 92 percent turnout.

Tajikistan’s Constitutional Court approved [JURIST report] the proposed constitutional amendments in February. In 2014 the UN Special Rapporteur on torture urged the Tajikistan government to implement policies and laws that have been previously adopted by the government in order to end torture [JURIST report] and ill-treatment within the country. Amnesty International [advocacy website] reported in July 2012 that torture, beatings and ill-treatment of detainees are common practice in Tajikistan. The human rights group claimed [JURIST report] that the country lacks measures adequately protecting detainees from abuses and ill-treatment and noted that there are more incentives than deterrence for police officers to engage in such practices.