U.S. English Foundation Research

TAJIKISTAN

Legislation

The Language Act of the Tadzhik Soviet Socialist Republic (hereinafter only “TSSR”) defines the legal position of the Tadzhiki (pharsi) language, declares its usage to the whole territory of the TSSR and provides guaranties so that the Russian language may be used for the communication among the nations of the USSR and so that the minority languages used in the territory of the TSSR may also be used.

Proclamation of the Tadzhiki language to be the state language in the TSSR does not decrease nor limit constitutional rights of citizens whose mother tongue is a different language. The TSSR declares equality of languages, provides legal guaranties and fair treatment to all languages used in its territory and protects the indisputable right of all citizens of any nationality for their cultural and language development and for their legal equality regardless their mother tongue.

CLAUSE I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1

The state language in the TSSR is the Tadzhiki language (pharsi).

Article 2

The Russian language is freely used in the territory of the TSSR as a communication means between the USSR nations.

Article 3

The TSSR establishes good conditions for a free development and usage of Gorskobadaschan (Pamir) languages and for presevartion of the Jagnob language.

The Highland Badaschan Autonomous Region sets regulations for the usage of local languages independently.

Article 4

This Act defines the legal status and areas of usage of the Tadzhiki, Russian, Uzbek, Kirghiz, Turkmen and other languages and sets citizens' rights and guaranties for their free choice and language protection.

This Act does not provide for the usage of languages in public places, everyday life, communication in work teams, enterprises, institutions and organisations listed by the Council of Ministers, nor at religious worship, rituals and festivals.

CLAUSE II

CITIZEN'S RIGHTS AND GUARANTIES TO CHOOSE A LANGUAGE

Article 5

The TSSR ensures a right to every citizens to choose a language for communication with State Authorities and Administration and with enterprises, organisations and institutions (including public institutions) and to receive information and documents in the state language, Russian language or any other accepted language.

Article 6

Employees of the State Authorities and Administration, public organisations as well as Judicial bodies, health institutions, cultural and trade organisations, services, transportation industry, social security institutions, real estate offices and those, who are, due to their working circumstances, in regular contact with citizens of other nationalities are required to speak the state and Russian languages sufficiently to manage their professional duties.

CLAUSE III

STATE AUTHORITIES AND ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC ORGANISATIONS

Article 7

State Authorities and Administration of the TSSR and Public Organisations manage all their agenda in the state language.

Sessions, meetings, conferences, workshops are held in the state language while speakers may choose another language. Should there be people who do not speak the state language, translation is arranged into Russian and, if possible, also to other languages.

Local Authorities and Administration and local Public Organisations in areas, where a minority language is used by the majority of population, may use the state language and the minority language.

Local Authorities and Administration and local Public Organisations in Dushanbe use the state language to manage their agenda within deadlines and by means specified by the Council of Ministers of the TSSR.

Article 8

Acts of the highest bodies of the TSSR are adopted in the state language and published in the Thadziki, Russian and Uzbek languages.

Acts of the highest bodies of the TSSR and documents of the Republic Public Organisations are adopted in the state language and published in the Thadziki and Russian languages.

Acts of the Local Authorities and Administration and documents of Public Organisations are adopted in the state language and published in the Thadziki language and other languages, if needed.

Acts of the Local Authorities and Administration and documents of Public Organisations in regions with a majority population of another nationality are adopted and published in both the state and national languages.

Article 9

The communication between the State Authorities and Administration and Public Organisations of the TSSR with the State Authorities and Administration of the USSR, union bodies of Public Organisations and with other Union Republics is held in the Russian language.

The communication with other countries is held in the language accepted by both parties.

Article 10

The communication of State Officials of the State Authorities and Administration and Public Organisations is held in the state language, or Russian language or a translation is furnished.

State Officials of the State Authorities and Administration of the TSSR and Public Organisations respond to citizens' requests and complaints in the state language, or Russian language or another acceptable language.

CLAUSE IV

ENTERPRISES, INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANISATIONS

Article 11

Enterprises, institutions and organisations (including the public organisations) maintain their agenda in the state language.

Enterprises, institutions and organisations where most of employees do not speak the Tadhziki language maintain their agenda in Russian or in a language used by the majority of employees, while these enterprises, institutions and organisations shall create conditions, including necessary finance, to allow its employees manage the Tadzhiki language and translate all their agenda into the state language.

Article 12

Enterprises, institutions and organisations located in the TSSR communicate with the State Authorities and Administration and Public Organisations of the TSSR as well as between themselves in the state language, with foreign enterprises, institutions and organisations in Russian or any other language acceptable for both parties.

Enterprises, organisations and institutions which held their agenda in minority languages may communicate with the State Authorities and Administration and Public Organisations of the TSSR as well as between themselves in both the state and minority languages.

Article 13

Officials in enterprises, institutions and organisations, including public organisations, respond to citizens' requests and complaints in the state language, Russian or other acceptable language.

Article 14

Documents issued to citizens by the State Authorities and Administration, enterprises, institutions and organisations, including public organisations are written in Tadzhiki or Russian or both Tadzhiki and Russian, upon citizen's request.

Article 15

Mail and telegraph service in the TSSR is held in the state or Russian language.

CLAUSE V

JUDICIAL BODIES, STATE ARBITRATION, NOTARY AND MATRIMONIAL OFFICES

Article 16

In accordance with the Article 160 of the Constitutions of the Tadzhik SSR, court action in the TSSR is held in the Tadzhiki language or in the language used by the majority of the population.

Should there be a person in the court who does not speak the language, the person has a full right to study the court documentation and take part in the court employing an interpreter and is entitled to speak in the mother tongue.

Article 17

Misdemeanour action is held in the state language or in the language used by the majority of the population.

People charged for an administration offence and other participants are entitled to speak in their mother tongue and, if they do not understand the language of court, they shall be assigned an interpreter.

The Minutes of an administration offence is written in the state language. If the person charged of an administration offence does not speak the state language, a minute is issued in Russian or translated into another acceptable language.

Article 18

Arbitration bodies in the TSSR settle business disputes between enterprises, institutions and organizations in the state or Russian language.

Article 19

Notary records in state Notary Offices and in Executive Committees of Municipal and Local Soviets of People's Deputies of the TSSR are written in the state language or Russian or in the language acceptable for the majority of the population.

Article 20

Records in Matrimonial Offices of the TSSR are written in the state and Russian languages.

CLAUSE VI

EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND CULTURE

Article 21

The TSSR guarantees the freedom to all citizens to choose an educational language for achieving general secondary education in the Tadzhiki, Russian, Uzbek languages and, in territories with compact population of another nationality, in their mother tongue.

Article 22

To all citizens living in its territory, the TSSR ensures the education of Tadzhiki and Russian at general schools, secondary modern schools, secondary industry schools, universities and other educational institutions.

Head officers at pre-school establishments and schools, as well as teachers and tutors are obliged to speak the language used in their establishment.

Article 23

At all secondary modern and industry schools and at all universities in the TSSR, regardless the specialization, the education process is carried out in the state language.

At secondary modern and industry schools and at universities, groups are established using the Russian and Uzbek language.

Article 24

The state ensures that the Tadzhiki language is taught at all schools and in all study groups, regardless their specialization, which use another educational language.

The graduates from secondary modern schools, industry schools and from universities are required to manage the state language so that they can carry out all their professional duties, in respect of their final exam.

Article 25

In the TSSR, post-graduate studies are carried out in the state, Russian or Uzbek language.

Article 26

In the area of scientific research, two languages, Tadzhiki and Russian, share equal rights to be used.

Scientific studies and theses for achieving a scientific degree are written and presented in Tadzhiki or Russian, and/or other languages with regard to Committee members and institutional resources.

Article 27

The TSSR creates good conditions for the research of the Tadzhik script based on the Arabian alphabet and for publishing literature using the aforementioned script.

Article 28

The TSSR ensures production of films, TV films, video films and other pieces of art in the state language and their follow-up translation into other languages. It also ensures translation of the aforementioned pieces of art from other languages to the state language.

Article 29

The TSSR gives attention and supports the language, culture and educational development of the Tadzhiks living abroad.

CLAUSE VII

NAMES AND INFORMATION

Article 30

Names of ministries, state committees, central offices, enterprises, institutions and organizations, including public organizations, as well as of their bodies and departments shall be in the state language, and accompanied by a translation to the Russian or other languages.

Article 31

The TSSR ensures the preservation of the Tadzhik names and historical toponyms in its territory and guarantees a public supervision over the proposals for new names, names of cities and villages and of historical and cultural monuments.

Citizens of the TSSR are entitled to use their names in accordance with their national traditions. They are also entitled to spell their first name, father's name and surname to the principles of their mother tongue.

Article 32

All texts in forms, seals, stamps, prints, and letterheads of enterprises, institutions and organizations are written in Tadzhiki and Russian.

All texts in notice boards, announcements, decrees, advertisements, which are displayed publicly, are written in the state language and, in inevitable circumstances, accompanied by a translation to the Russian or other language.

Article 33

All products manufactured by companies operating in the TSSR shall bear labels and instructions in the state language with a translation into Russian.

Sales or trade companies shall provide labels in the state and Russian languages for products imported from other countries of the USSR or from abroad.

CLAUSE VIII

SUPERVISION AND PROSECUTION

Article 34

The Council of Ministers of the TSSR, local Soviets of People's Deputies and their executive bodies, ministries, state committees, central offices as well as head staff in enterprises, institutions and organizations shall ensure the supervision, regardless their position and rank, over the observance of this Act.

Article 35

Advertising animosity to any national language, any act of defamation or degradation motivated by language usage, or of setting obstacles and limits to free language usage, or of restricting citizens' constitutional rights and freedoms as well as any breach of the language equality shall be prosecuted.

Article 36

This law shall become effective in several stages. These shall be specified by the Highest Soviet of the Tadzhik SSR.

The Council of Ministers of the TSSR shall carry out measures to put this Act into practice.

Article 37

The Highest Soviet of the Tadzhik SSR shall carry out supervision over the observance of this law.

Chair of the Presidium of the Highest Soviet of the TSSR - G. Pallajev

Secretary of the Presidium of the Highest Soviet of the TSSR - A. Kasymova

July 22, 1989

Dushanbe

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