KHUJAND, February 5, 2012, Asia-Plus — One more alleged activist of the outlawed religious extremist Hizb ut-Tahrir group has been arrested in the northern Sughd province.
According to the Sughd police directorate, 45-year-old resident of the Bobojonghafurov district, B.A., was arrested on February 3 for active membership in the Hizb ut-Tahrir party.
“B.A. together with H.K., 54, runs a shop at Bobojonghafurov’s market bazaar,” said the source, “290 leaflets of the Hizb ut-Tahrir party were found in the shop. When searching the house of B.A., police officers found subversive literature.”
Criminal proceedings have been instituted against B.A. under the provisions of two articles of Tajikistan’s Penal Code: Article 187 0 organization of a criminal group or participation in a criminal group; and Article 307 – organization of an extremist group or participation in an extremist group. An investigation is under.
According to the Sughd prosecutor’s office, 135 activists of extremist religious groups, including 36 members of the Hizb ut-Tahrir group, were arrested in northern Tajikistan last year.
Hizb ut-Tahrir has been banned in Tajikistan since 2000. The Supreme Court of Tajikistan formally labeled the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir Islamist group as an extremist organization on March 11, 2008. The ruling followed a request submitted to the court by Tajik chief prosecutor. The ruling means even tighter restrictions on the group”s presence on the Internet and its use of media to promote its ideology.
