DUSHANBE, July 6, 2015, Asia-Plus – Tajikistan celebrated the eighteenth anniversary of the signing of the General Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and National Accord on June 27.

In statement released on July 2, the European Union notes that in a telling indictment of how the principles of that agreement enshrining political pluralism have since been eroded, for the first time one of the key participants in the 1997 Accord, the Islamic Revival Party (IRP), felt obliged to boycott the celebrations in protest at the wide-scale pressure faced by their party members.

The statement says the European Union shares their concern.

“The final report of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission earlier this year noted that elections took place in a restricted political space and failed to provide a level playing field for candidates. Since then the harassment of IRP members has increased, leading to a questionable spate of videoed resignations of party members.  We are also concerned by the recent announcement via a government newspaper that a criminal investigation is being launched against IRP leader Muhiddin Kabiri for an alleged illegal privatization of property 16 years ago.  The timing of such an allegation raises questions given the related increasing harassment of IRP members and the government’s track record of prosecuting opposition activists and politicians for alleged criminal offences.

“The pressure on political opposition is not solely confined to the IRP.  We are particularly concerned by the recent detention in Belarus at the request of the Tajik Government of Shabnam Khudoydodova, a member of the opposition Group 24.  Given the fate of other Group 24 members who called for democratic reform in Tajikistan, we urge Belarus not to extradite Ms Khudoydodova to Tajikistan. We strongly urge the Tajik Government to fully abide by its OSCE commitments and re-open the space for peaceful alternative political views to be expressed.”