DUSHANBE, March 9, 2012, Asia-Plus — An extraordinary meeting of the Islamic Revival Party (IRP)’s board that took place on March 8 discussed the current political situation in the country, the emerging threats to stability and peace in Tajikistan, Constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens as well as activities of political parties and representatives of civil society, according to IRP’s headquarters in Dushanbe.
The meeting reportedly resulted in adoption of a statement that, in particular, noted that some mistaken actions carried out by the government lately are preparing the ground for creating the hostile image of the Islamic Revival Party in society, and thereby, violating Constitutional norms and breaking the foundations of peace and accord in the country.
In this connection, the party’s board calls on the country’s authorities to take necessary measures to ensure observance of legality and prevention of pressure on and defamation against the Islamic Revival Party and civil society, the statement said. “If the public institutions state that no decisions were made in this direction, they must prove that in practice.”
The IRP’s board also pointed to the necessity of carrying out fundamental reforms in order to bring the country out of crisis.
We will recall that some media sources report that Polyarnaya Zvezda on March 1 published an article entitled “Tajikistan on the Eve of Revolution.” The article reportedly covered a meeting in which President Emomali Rahmon allegedly ordered security services to increase surveillance of local religious groups and members of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan.
Founded in October 1990, the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan was registered on December 4, 1991. It was banned by the Supreme Court in June 1993 and legalized in August 1999. Its official newspaper is
Najot
(Salvation). According to some sources, IRP now has some 25,000-30,000 members. It won two seats in the 2010 parliamentary elections. The Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan is the only Islamic party registered in CIS Central Asia.
