DUSHANBE, October 1, 2015, Asia-Plus – Andrei Serenko, an expert at the Moscow Center for Afghanistan Studies, says persecutions against politicians and even lawyers related to the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRP) are connected with the forthcoming entry of Tajikistan in the Eurasian Economic Union (EUEC).
“I think that persecutions against the IRP are connected with the forthcoming entry of Tajikistan into the EAEC. Maybe it is even one of conditions for Tajikistan’s joining the EAEC. Moscow and Astana do not need the Islamic party within a common integrated space…Most likely, persecutions against the IRP is a common project of Dushanbe, Moscow and Astana,” Serenko told
Ferghana
News Agency in an interview.
He supposes Tajikistan is not so happy about joining the Eurasian Economic Union. “But Moscow will put pressure on Tajikistan and it will succeed in its pressure,” the expert said.
The expert believes that interests of Moscow and Astana on this issue coincide. “It is easier for Putin to deal with weak tyrants. He does not need uncontrollable Islam. Manageable Islam is another matter. For example, the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov.”
Serenko is sure that the current political regime in Tajikistan will not stand even a couple of months without Russia’s support.
