KHUJAND, July 29, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Ten residents of Sughd province have got long jail terms for being members of the banned extremist religious Hizb ut-Tahrir organization.  All of them are residents of the city of Khujand and Bobojonghafurov district.

The Khujand city court completed consideration of criminal proceedings instituted against them on July 28.  The court jailed them for 9 to 15 years on charges of inciting religious hatred and calling forcible to change the constitution.

The source at the court said the convicts were persons aged 20 to 70.  Three of them had previous convictions for membership of Hizb ut-Tahrir.

They were detained by officers from the Sughd security directorate in November last year, the source added.     

Hizb ut-Tahrir argues it uses only peaceful methods to achieve its goal of establishing a worldwide caliphate -- a theocratic Muslim state.

According to Reuters, Tajikistan has jailed 26 people this year for their links to Hizb ut-Tahrir and more than 50 citizens that it says were affiliated to other banned extremist groups.