KHUJAND, June 18, 2012, Asia-Plus — The trial of an activist of the outlawed religious extremist Hizb ut-Tahrir group is beginning in a court in Sughd’s Bobojonghafurov district on June 19.
Odilboy Usmonov, deputy chairman of the Bobojonghafurov court, says the 45-year-old local resident Burhonkhouja Abduqodirov is charged with organization of a criminal group or participation in a criminal group; incitement of national, racial, regional and religious enmity, public calls for the forcible
overthrow of or change to the constitutional order in Tajikistan, organization of an extremist group and organization of activity of an extremist group.
According to Usmonov, Burhonkhouja Abduqodirov was detained by officers from the State Committee for National Security (SCNS)’s office in Sughd province on March 28 this year and a large consignment of subversive literature and leaflets of Hizb ut-Tahrir was confiscated from him. “Abduqodirov voluntarily joined the Hizb ut-Tahrir group in 2009,” Usmonov added.
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.
