The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Dushanbe is expected to release a statement regarding a documentary, in which Tajik authorities have accused Iran of backing high-profile killings in Tajikistan during the Tajik civil war in the 1990s, in the near future.
Asia-Plus managed to get in touch with the Iranian Embassy by phone and they said that they are aware of the documentary that was broadcast on Tajik national television on August 8. “We will release an official statement on this subject to the media soon,” the Embassy representatives said.
Recall, the Tajik Interior Ministry claimed in the documentary that Iran was allegedly interested in unleashing civil war in Tajikistan, and it allegedly provided assistance to the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) and trained its militants in Iranian territory. The Tajik Interior Ministry had reportedly taken part in filming the documentary.
In the documentary, three Tajiks confessed to a series of killings of a number of Tajik politicians and public figures as well as 20 Russian officers in Tajikistan between 1997 and 2004.
The broadcaster aired footage of them in handcuffs saying they had received training in and financial support from Iran.
The documentary identified all three as supporters of a former deputy defense minister and mutinous general Abduhalim Nazarzoda.
The confessions mark the first time Iran has been publicly accused of involvement in Tajikistan's 1992-97 civil war.
Meanwhile, Iran and Russia acted as mediators in the Tajik negotiation process which ended the five-year civil war in 1997.
Some experts consider that the documentary aired amid tensions between Tajikistan and Iran over Tehran's support for the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan, which the Supreme Court of Tajikistan has declared a terrorist group.
Tajikistan and Iran have traditionally close relations, sharing many similar cultural, religious and ethnic identifiers and Iran has been a major sponsor of essential hydropower infrastructure in Tajikistan, but Iran has angered Tajikistan by welcoming IRPT leader Muhiddin Kabiri, who is wanted by police in Tajikistan to face various terrorism charges.
Iran invited IRPT leader Muhiddin Kabiri to attend the International Islamic Unity Conference that took place in Tehran on December 27-29, 2015.
Tajikistan’s MFA said in a statement on December 29 that it was “greatly concerned” that “the head of the extremist and terrorist former IRPT, Muhiddin Kabiri, who faces charges of attempting to overthrow the government … has been invited to the conference.”
In April 2016, Tajikistan’s customs service introduced restrictions on the import of food products from Iran. Dry leaf tea, poultry and other goods were ruled unacceptable for their allegedly poor quality. In July 2016, the Tajik office of Iran’s Khomeini Imdod Committee, an international development fund, closed. In early July this year, the Iranian trade and culture center in the Tajik northern city of Khujand, which was particularly appreciated for its library services and fast internet, closed its doors. The shuttering reportedly came at the request of the Tajik authorities.
