DUSHANBE, September 17, 2015, Asia-Plus — The exiled leader of a recently banned Islamic Revival Party (IRP) has rejected officials” accusation that he ordered a deadly mutiny last week by a serving deputy defense minister.
IRP leader Muhiddin Kabiri told RFE/RL via electronic message that “I absolutely deny all the accusations, as neither I nor our party have anything to do with those developments.”
Kabiri told RFE/RL that Abduhalim Nazarzoda — a former member of the United Tajik Opposition (UTO) that allied democratic, nationalist, and Islamist forces against government troops during Tajikistan”s civil war in the 1990s — had never been a party member and had nothing to do with the IRP.
IRP leader told RFE/RL from his self-imposed exile that “the general”s mutiny was skillfully used by Tajik authorities to reach their long goal at last, which is to depict us as radicals and extremists.”
Nazarzoda”s motives rather lie in the government”s “erroneous” policies, Kabiri added.
Kabiri also reiterated pledges from IRP officials that the group was not going to go underground.
“We will not go underground or start any radical activities,” Kabiri told RFE/RL. “We will continue conducting our activities in accordance with laws and regulations of our country and countries we will be in.”
But he warned that Tajik society”s radicalization is “inevitable” under such circumstances.
“I very much hope that the world community will properly evaluate the situation and will not give Tajik authorities the chance to use the [radicalization] of society to crack down on dissent,” Kabiri said.
“I understand that while the fight against the [Mideast-based militant group] Islamic State and other extremists groups is under way, the majority [of the world] thinks and makes decisions in a stereotyped way. But if rapid measures against repression [in Tajikistan] are not made, that will inevitably lead to a major human tragedy in Tajikistan.”
The IRP had been represented in the Tajik parliament for 15 years until its total defeat in the last parliamentary elections, in March, followed by the total ban announced in late August.
