DUSHANBE, May 17, 2011, Asia-Plus — Visiting Member of the International Commission Against Death Penalty (ICDP) and former President of Switzerland, Ms. Ruth Dreifuss yesterday met here with the Islamic Revival Party (IRP) leader Muhiddin Kabiri, who is also member of the lower houses (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of Tajik Parliament.
According to IRP’s headquarters in Dushanbe, the human rights situation in Tajikistan was the focus of the meeting.
Kabiri reportedly informed Ms. Dreifuss of his party’s attitude to introduction of the moratorium on death penalty in the country in 2004 and abolition of the death penalty in Tajikistan. The IRP leader noted that the IRP had supported the government’s initiative on introducing the death penalty moratorium but the party has not yet defined its precise position regarding abolition of the death penalty in the country, the source noted.
According to him, Kabiri noted that the party would define its final position regarding that issue after studying opinions of Islamic theologians. “The IRP leader stressed that Islam permits use of the death penalty for crimes against humanity.”
Ms. Dreifuss, for her part, noted that Christian Church’s position on this problem is more clear and expressed wish that Islamic community will also promote more actively development of democracy and freedom of speech in society, the source added.
