DUSHANBE, April 28, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik Embassy in Moscow is keeping vigilant watch over the events connected with a recent mass arrest of Muslims in Moscow, Mohammad Egamzod, an official representative of the Tajik Embassy in Moscow, said.

According to him, Tajik Ambassador to Russia Abdulmajid Dostiyev ordered the relevant employees of the Embassy to keep vigilant watch over the events, though the Tajik Embassy has not received any official information that there were Tajik nationals among those detained at the Darul Arqam Islamic Cultural Center in Moscow.

“We know that there are many our nationals among those visiting mosques in Russia,” said Egamzod.  “Tajik diplomats also realize that the Russian authorities have faced radical religious groups lately.  Therefore, we consider that an April 26 incident has a prophylactic character.” 

We will recall that Russian police and security agents have detained 140 people following prayers at the Darul Arqam Islamic Cultural Center.

The incident took place on April 26 and according to international media sources, among those detained at the Darul Arqam Islamic Cultural Center were thirty nationals of unspecified foreign countries. 

According to The Associated Press, the reports cited the Russian Federal Security Agency (FSB) as saying the mosque previously has been visited by people who had been involved in preparing or carrying out terrorist attacks.

Meanwhile, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reports that most of those arrested were ethnic Tajiks who were taken to various police stations.  At one station, 25 people were held, with eight later released.  Those who remained in detention at the station told RFE/RL’s Tajik Service that they were being held without charges.

The detentions come a week after the two suspects in the fatal Boston Marathon bombing were identified as originating from Russia''s North Caucasus republic of Chechnya and sympathizing with Islamic extremists.