KHUJAND, May 26, Asia-Plus  - The 29-year-old resident of Khujand Bakhtiyor Sattorov has got 10-year jail term for being member of the outlawed religious Hizb ut-Tahrir organization. 

The Sughd regional court last week ruled that Bakhtiyor Sattorov be given a jail term of ten years and that he should serve it in a high-security penal colony.  The sentence followed his conviction on charges of inciting national, racial, regional and religious enmity, calls for the violent overthrow of the government, organization of extremist group and organization of activity of extremist group.    

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Justice Hakimjon Asrorov, who took in the trial, said Bakhtiyor Sattorov joined the Hizb ut-Tahrir party in April 2007and was “Masuli Kitob”.  Sattorov was detained in February this year.    

As Masuli Kitob, Bakhtiyor Sattorov was in charge of weekly receiving the Hizb ut-Tahrir literature and leaflets to distribute them to the party members in the provinces for spreading among the population.    

We will recall that Tajikistan’s Supreme Court on March 11 this year formally labeled the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir Islamist group as an “extremist organization.”  The ruling followed a request submitted to the court by Tajik chief prosecutor.  Although the group has been outlawed in Tajikistan since 2000, the ruling means even tighter restrictions on Hizb ut-Tahrir’s presence on the Internet and its use of media to promote its ideology.