Tajikistan has increased penalties for illegal tree cutting, forest damage, and violations in protected natural areas, with fines for some offenses now reaching as much as 93,600 somoni.
The amendments to the Criminal Code were approved on June 16 during the sixth session of the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament).
The new legislation strengthens penalties for a range of environmental offenses, including unauthorized cutting of trees and shrubs, destruction or damage to forests, and violations of regulations in specially protected natural areas.
Under the amended Article 234 of the Criminal Code, fines for the illegal cutting of trees and shrubs have been increased from 500–700 calculation indicators to 700–900 calculation indicators. Based on the current value of a calculation indicator (78 somoni in 2026), the fines now range from 54,600 to 70,200 somoni.
For aggravated offenses under Part 2 of Article 234, fines have been raised from 700–1,000 to 900–1,200 calculation indicators, equivalent to 70,200–93,600 somoni.
The amendments also revise penalties under Article 235, which covers the destruction or damage of forests. Depending on the severity of the offense, the maximum fine under this article can now reach 1,500 calculation indicators, or 117,000 somoni.
The law also introduces clearer definitions of environmental damage. Damage exceeding 100 calculation indicators will be classified as significant, while damage exceeding 200 calculation indicators will be considered large-scale.
Penalties for violating regulations in specially protected natural areas have also been increased. Under Article 236, fines have risen from 300–500 to 500–700 calculation indicators, or from 39,000 to 54,600 somoni.
Lawmakers said the tougher penalties are intended to curb illegal logging, prevent forest degradation, and strengthen the protection of environmentally sensitive areas.
The issue of illegal tree cutting has repeatedly drawn public attention in Tajikistan.
In Khatlon province, local residents and environmental experts have recently raised concerns about unauthorized logging in the Kulob zone.
According to forestry authorities, 162 cases of illegal tree cutting were recorded in Khatlon during the first quarter of 2026 alone, resulting in fines totaling 86,700 somoni.
Another widely discussed case occurred several years ago in the Ayni district of Sughd province near Iskanderkul Lake. Social media users reported tree cutting in the Arg Gorge, and subsequent inspections by the Committee for Environmental Protection confirmed violations during sanitary logging operations.
