DUSHANBE, February 19, 2011, Asia-Plus — The 34-year-old Sh.H. from Dushanbe was detained on February 17 on suspicion of public calls for extremist activities, according to the Ministry of Interior (MoI).
The source says Sh.H. has carried out an active propagation of religious radicalism among the population of Dushanbe and nearby districts. “The preliminary investigation has established that Sh.H. propagated radical Islam in some mosques calling for change of the constitutional order of Tajikistan,” he said.
Criminal proceedings have been instituted against the detainee and an investigation is under way. He faces charges of public calls for extremist activities and preparation for actions aimed at violent change of the constitutional order.
As it had been reported earlier, two women wearing the hijab were arrested in Dushanbe on February 14 on suspicion of extremist activities. They were detained when they were sticking subversive leaflets in one of Dushanbe’s neighborhoods, the source said, noting that the women managed to stick more than 40 leaflets. Criminal proceedings have been instituted against then under the provisions of Article 307 (1) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – calls for extremist activities. An investigation is under way.
We will recall that speaking at a February 10 meeting of the Security Council, President Emomali Rahmon expressed concern about increase in extremism manifestations in the country. The president drew attention of those present to increasing manifestations of religious extremism in separate regions of the country, in particular in Rasht Valley, Sughd province and some districts of Khatlon province, as well as Dushanbe and Roudaki, Vahdat and Hissar districts. He also said the unchecked proliferation of mosques and religious schools posed a major threat to stability. According to him, some mosques have turned into “places for recruiting youths to the ranks of extremists.”
