DUSHANBE, June 18, Asia-Plus – The press center of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) reports the BBC Uzbek Service correspondent Urunboy Usmonov, 60, was detained on June 13, 2011 on suspicion of membership in the outlawed extremist religious Hizb ut-Tahrir organization.  He faces charge of participation in an extremist group.

The SCNS press center chief Nozirjon Bouriyev says the preliminary investigation has established that Usmonov had contacts with representatives of the Hizb ut-Tahrir both inside and outside the country for a long time and actively participated in spreading printed materials disseminating ideas of the Hizb ut-Tahrir party and calling for violent change to the constitutional order of Tajikistan.  Investigation is under way.

Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported that Tajik Interior Ministry spokesman Mahmadullo Asadulloyev said on June 15 that Usmonov joined the banned Islamic movement Hizb ut-Tahrir in 2009 and sought to recruit new members for the group through the Internet.  Asadulloyev said several people have made statements confirming this information.

According to RFE/RL, Usmonov''s son, Oybek, said police came to the family''s home on June 13 and told them Usmonov had been arrested.  Oybek said police searched the house but did not find anything incriminating.

Usmonov has reportedly worked in Khujand for the BBC for the past 10 years.

The Supreme Court of Tajikistan formally labeled the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir Islamist group as an extremist organization on March 11, 2008.  The ruling followed a request submitted to the court by Tajik chief prosecutor.  Although the group has been outlawed in Tajikistan since April 2001, the ruling means even tighter restrictions on the group''s presence on the Internet and its use of media to promote its ideology.