Court sentences members of Islamic group

Tajikistan’s highest court convicted eight members of an Islamic group of subversive activities and sentenced them to prison terms from one to six years, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Monday. Following a two-month trial, the Supreme Court of Tajikistan convicted members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, or Islamic Revival, of “actions aimed at inciting racial and religious tension”.

Two group leaders were each sentenced to six years in jail while others received milder sentences. According to the report, many islamic militants have been arrested in northern Tajikistan over the past year.Hizb-ut-Tahrir is an underground group that advocates the creation of a caliphate, or independent Islamic state, in the mountains and valleys where Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan converge. Secular Central Asian governments have accused these groups of plotting to seize power. They have also accused Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban movement of fomenting tension throughout the region by supporting the militant groups, the report said.