DUSHANBE, June 24, 2013, Asia-Plus – Leader of the banned Salafiya group in Tajikistan, Sirojiddin Abdurahmonov (also known as Eshoni Sirojiddin) has been released from prison after serving jail term for inciting national racial, regional or religious enmity.
“Sirojiddin Abdurahmonov’s jail terms was reduced by three years under amnesty that was declared on August 20, 2011 and he was released from prison on June 24,” Ilhom Mahmoudov, the deputy head of the Penitentiary System, Ministry of Justice told Asia-Plus in an interview.
We will recall that the court of Dushanbe’s Sino district sentenced seven Salafis to jail terms from 5 to 7 years on January 22, 2010. Among them were leader of the Salafiya group in Tajikistan, Sirojiddin Abdurahmonov (also known as Eshoni Sirojiddin), and his son, Kiromiddin Abdurahmonov. The sentence followed their conviction on the charge of inciting national racial, regional or religious enmity.
Sirojiddin Abdurahmonov was sentenced to seven years in prison and Kiromiddin Abdurahmonov got a jail term of five years.
Kiromiddin Abdurahmonov was also released after his jail term was reduced under the amnesty declared on August 20, 2011.
Eshoni Sirojiddin together with other followers of the Salafiya movement was detained in Dushanbe in June 2009. Eshoni Sirojiddin and 40 followers were performing evening prayers in a mosque in Dushanbe”s Zarafshon neighborhood when police detained them on June 23, 2009. The detention of Eshoni Sirojiddin and his followers was the first action against alleged Salafis conducted by Tajik authorities.
The Supreme Court of Tajikistan banned the Salafiya group in Tajikistan in January 2009 “for the security of Tajikistan and defense of its citizens” legal rights, as well as the prevention of national, racial, and religious enmity in the country.” On January 9, 2009, the Supreme Court added Salafis to its list of extremist religious groups prohibited from operating in the country.
The Salafis promote a strict form of Sunni Islam based on the early period of Islam and do not recognize other branches of Islam, such as Shi’a and Sufism. It is frequently referred to as Wahabbism, although Salafis reject this as derogatory.
According to experts, there are estimated to be several thousand followers of Salafism in Tajikistan, mostly young people aged 20 to 30 and many of whom graduated from Islamic schools in Pakistan or Arab countries.
The overwhelming majority of Tajiks are followers of Hanafia, a more liberal branch of Sunni Islam.
