DUSHANBE, July 2, 2015, Asia-Plus – The Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRP) has launched an appeal to the guarantors of the inter-Tajik peace agreement, asking to help keep peace and stability in the country.

An official appeal was sent yesterday to Russian President Vladimir Putin, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the European Union, guarantor nations and members of the Contact Group of Guarantor States – Iran, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan.

In its appeal, the IRP, in particular, notes that pressure on the party may lead to increase in level of radicalization of the population and put security of Central Asia under threat.

“The IRP has made a decision to appeal to you following an unhealthy situation that emerged in the country, in particular illegal actions of the Tajik authorities against separate individuals, parties, opposition political and religious groups,” the appeal says.

The IRP board considers that these actions of the authorities not only contradict the Constitution of Tajikistan and the General Peace Agreement but also pose threat to stability and security in Central Asia.

“Thousands of people, giving up hope for justice and opportunities of free political and economic activities, left the country while the other part joined radical groups,” the appeal notes.

We will recall that the IRP''s leadership has blamed its current crisis on “government pressure” that has helped lead to the closure of regional offices one after another across the country.

Dozens of members and heads of the Islamic Revival Party (IRP)''s regional offices on June 20 and 21 announced their departures from the IRP by way of online videos.  Some cited the party''s poor performance in the March 1 parliamentary elections, which left the IRP without a seat in parliament for the first time since 2000.  Others said they were disheartened by a series of sex videos involving party officials.  Still others simply reasoned that there was no need for an Islamic party in Tajikistan.  Many of the online announcements end with expressions of support and gratitude for the policies of President Emomali Rahmon.

Founded in October 1990, the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan is the only Islamic party officially registered in former Soviet Central Asia.  The IRP was registered on December 4, 1991.  It was banned by the Supreme Court in June 1993 and legalized in August 1999.  Its official newspaper is Najot (Salvation).  According to some source, the IRP now has some 50,000 members.

Since 1999, the party has reportedly been the second-largest party in Tajikistan after the ruling People''s Democratic Party of Tajikistan.

In the 2005 and 2010 parliamentary elections, the IRP won two out of 63 seats in the parliament, but in the 2015 parliamentary polls the party failed to clear the 5 percent threshold needed to win parliament seats.

The party leaders said the elections were not fair and alleged fraud in vote-counting.