DUSHANBE, May 20, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- The St. Petersburg news agency, BaltInfo, reported on May 20 that a 35-year-old Tajik woman, who is believed to be an activist of one of Islamist groups of Tajikistan, has been detained in Moscow by officers from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

According to the Russian law enforcement authorities, she had been internationally wanted since 2006 for calls for the forcible change of the constitutional order of the country and creation of Islamic republic, BaltInfo said, noting that she is currently being held in one of pretrial detention facilities of Moscow police.

The case materials have been transferred to the Russian Prosecutor-General’s Office Secretary for consideration of the issue of her extradition to Tajikistan.  An extradition decision must be made by court.  According to international practice, persons persecuted for political reasons enjoy the right of asylum and are generally not extradited.  A mutual legal assistance agreement between Russia and Tajikistan has not yet been signed, BaltInfo said.