DUSHANBE, January 9, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- 28 activists of the outlawed religious extremist Hizb ut-Tahrir organization were convicted in Tajikistan last year, chairman of the Supreme Court Nusratullo Abdulloyev announced at a press conference in Dushanbe on January 20.

According to him, 26 activists of this religious organization were convicted in the country in 2007.

We will recall that the Supreme Court formally defined Hizb ut-Tahrir as an extremist organization on March 11, 2008.  The ruling followed a request submitted to the court by Tajik chief prosecutor Bobojon Bobokhonov.  Although the group has been outlawed in Tajikistan since 2001 already, the ruling means even tighter restrictions on the organization’s use of media to promote its ideology.  Hizb ut-Tahrir reportedly seeks to establish a caliphate, or Islamic society, in Central Asia.

In Tajikistan, Hizb ut-Tahrir members are usually charged with public appeals to overthrow the constitutional authorities in Tajikistan, as well as inciting ethnic, racial or religious enmity.  

Speaking to reporters, Abdulloyev noted that the Supreme Court had made a number of important decisions to strengthen the country’s national security.  The Jehovah''s Witnesses sect was banned in Tajikistan last September and on January 8 this year, the Supreme Court issued a ban on the Salafiya religious movement.  The court ruling specifically prohibits the import and distribution of Salafiya religious material.

Abdulloyev noted that if ban issued on other illegal religious organizations had caused a certain reaction, the Salafiya members were still silent.