DUSHANBE, April 11, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- The Islamic Revival Party (IRP) has lodged an application to the Prosecutor-General’s Office, complaining about officers from the Interior Ministry’s office in the Hisor district, who have reportedly prevented the party members to hold meeting in the district.

The application, signed by IRP deputy head Mahmadali Hayit, in particular, says that IRP leader Muhididn Kabiri was scheduled to hold meeting with representatives of IRP’s primary organization in Hisor on April 9,  but local police officers did not allow holding the meeting.

Police officers reportedly justified their actions by saying that “political parties do not have the right to hold meetings on week days.”

We will recall that IRP on April 9 released a statement, noting that pressure of local authorities on the party has increased since the beginning of this year.

According to the statement, representatives of local authorities are impeding activities of the party and persuading people to leave the party.  For this, local authorities are reportedly using clerics.

“The impression is that some representatives of the authorities are aggravating the situation in order to conceal their shortcomings,” the statement said.

Founded in October 1990, the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan 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 sources, IRP now has some 50,000 members.  It won two seats in the 2010 parliamentary elections.  The Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan is the only Islamic party registered in CIS Central Asia.