Thursday, June 21, 2012 -
Tajikistan’s lower house of parliament gave its approval Wednesday up to a presidential proposal that a list of suspected ‘terrorists’ is drawn up so authorities can seize their assets.
Amendments to the law ‘On combating terrorism’ authorize the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) to prepare a list of suspects and freeze their bank accounts, property, and assets.
The amendments were opposed by several lawmakers.
Communist Party leader Shodi Shabdolov pointed out that the term “terrorism” does not have a universal definition and can be misused.
“[So-called] superpowers may declare a whole state a terrorist state … I ask the government to be very careful over these issues so that they cannot use us in this dirty game,” said Shabdolov, the Asia-Plus news agency reported.
Muhiddin Kabiri, leader of the opposition Islamic Revival Party, concurred on the difficulty of finding a common definition for the word “terrorist”.
Yet, he was more direct.
Kabiri noted that the leaders of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and Tunisia’s Islamic Revival Party won elections in their own countries, yet are unable to visit
Tajikistan because their organizations are classified as “terrorist” by the Tajik government.
Kabiri’s Islamic Revival Party is the only legal Islamist party in Central Asia.