DUSHANBE, 23.11.2017. /NIAT «Khovar»/. International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) is established in 1956 and is based in Lyon, France. Currently, 194 countries, including the Republic of Tajikistan, are members of this organization. The organization’s main task is coordination of the joint efforts of the national law enforcement agencies of member states in the fight against common crime. The Interpol National Central Bureau created in the structure of each Interpol member states and its activities coordinated by the Secretariat General of this organization.

The Interpol National Central Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan also has been created in the Republic of Tajikistan. What are the tasks and responsibilities of this bureau? What measures are being taken to arrest and convict the terrorist and extremist groups, including the terrorist and extremist organization IRPT? On this and other important issues, the reviewer on legal issues of “Jumhuriyat” newspaper Dodojon Ruziev had a special interview with the head of the Bureau Major General Abdughaffor Azizov, which we offer to our readers.

 — Could you briefly tell us about the competencies and duties of the Interpol National Central Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan at the beginning of our conversation?

— The Interpol National Central Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan is considered one of the most important structures in the internal affairs bodies, taking specific measures on the issues of announcing in the international wanted list of criminals, missing persons, unidentified bodies found, stolen vehicles, as well as historical and ancient items.

Along with the performance of official duties, the personnel of the bureau is obliged to open serious crimes, especially grave crimes, provide information of an operational nature and other areas of activity that the internal affairs bodies carry out.

— How many people are currently on the international wanted list and which crime category have they belonged?

— To date, the Interpol National Central Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan /INCB MIA RT/ has included 2528 criminals in the information database of the Interpol General Secretariat and they are on the international wanted list. These people are wanted for committing serious crimes and especially grave crimes, including murder, robbery, fraud, crimes of terrorism and extremist nature and other crimes.

— From the total number that you have mentioned how many of them are members of terrorist and extremist organization IRPT and what other crimes were committed by members of this banned party?

— From the total number — 1,873 people are members of terrorist and extremist groups, 35 of which are active members of the TEO IRPT. They are accused of committing crimes related to terrorism and extremism, in accordance with article 179 (terrorism), 186 (banditry), 187 (organization of criminal organization), 185 (organization of an illegal armed formation), 306 (forcible seizure of power or violent retention of power), 307 (public calls for extremist activities), 313 (armed insurrection) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Tajikistan.

According to our information, along with crimes related to terrorism and extremism, the IRPT members are also accused of committing a number of other crimes, including murder, robbery, mercenary, rape, drug trafficking, hostage taking and kidnapping people, illegal possession of weapons and other serious and especially grave crimes.

In general, the TEO IRPT members had committed 1640 crimes. The party, which regularly used the Islamic mask during its official activities in the Republic of Tajikistan, its members committed such horrible and outrageous crimes.

— How the procedure announcement for the wanted is carried out and is there a list of wanted persons in all the border points of Interpol states?

 — After introducing the necessary information in the database about the criminal, our employees will again study the existing documents, and then translate the necessary information in Russian and English and send it directly to the Interpol Secretariat through a special system.

In turn, the Secretariat sends information to all representatives of Interpol member states for the announcement on the wanted list. Also, the information about criminals is placed with his photo in the “Wanted persons” section. There are two forms to declare on the wanted list — open and closed. All citizens can see the open form of declaring on the Interpol official website (www.interpol.int). The closed form is secret and only the employees of the Interpol members states have access to it.

— What is the reason that sometimes the name of the leader of the terrorist and extremist organization of the IRPT Muhiddin Kabiri disappears from the wanted list of Interpol, which is published on the Internet? Is he not on the wanted list?

— This information is not reliable and rumors are also unfounded. As I mentioned above, there are two forms to declare on the wanted list. Some active members and head of the terrorist and extremist organization of the IRPT Muhiddin Kabiri are in search of a closed form and therefore this list is not available to all.

Based on the reliable evidence, it was confirmed that Kabiri and other leaders and activists of the IRPT were involved in the coup d’état. According to the decision of the Judicial Collegium on Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tajikistan of June 2nd, 2016, 14 members of the Supreme Leadership of the IRPT were found guilty and convicted for committing a crime by public appeals for the purpose of forcibly changing the constitutional order of the Republic of Tajikistan, armed insurrection, terrorism and its financing. Namely, in connection with the involvement in the above crimes, M. Kabiri and some of his accomplices are on the international wanted list.

 — In your opinion, what was the true purpose of the attempted coup d’état on September 4, 2015?

—  Of course, everyone knows that the goal of each political party is to come to power within the framework of the current laws of that country. The former Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan was unable to develop a perfect and profitable plan for society in the realization of its goals and plans and gradually lost credibility and public trust. Namely, after the failures in the political struggle and the embezzlement of the funds of foreign patrons and throwing them in the wind, their leaders received orders to use their last chance, that is, by military means to seize power. This enemy and armed rebellion of the IRPT led by Muhiddin Kabiri and Halim Nazarzoda was suppressed by the power structures with the support of the people of Tajikistan. In the shortest time, the enemy was destroyed and the armed criminal group was neutralized.

Earlier, during the period of its activity, the IRPT, apart from stirring up differences and separatism, has not committed any useful action in the interests of the state, the nation, and the people. Over time, majority members of this party, having realized the enemy’s goals and the danger of further activity of this party in the modern society of Tajikistan, left its ranks.

The true face of this extremist party was revealed for the people of Tajikistan and on September 29th, 2015, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tajikistan has recognized the IRPT as a terrorist and extremist organization.

— In your opinion, what threats can the IRPT remaining members pose to the future of the Republic of Tajikistan?

— I think that if the IRPT activity was not suspended on time, it was possible to repeat the events of the 90’s on their part for the Tajik people. But, currently, this group does not represent any threat, except blackening of its nation and people before strangers for the sake of finding a piece of bread. I can confidently say that the people of Tajikistan will never again be deceived by this group, which in 1992 pulled the people into the whirlpool of the civil war.

— Relatively the information available to you, from where the terrorist-extremist organization IRPT received material source and after fleeing of its members from the Republic of Tajikistan, where they found shelter and from where they receive material support?

— Both, during the official activities and after it banning it was known that the IRPT was systematically funded from abroad. It is not a secret for the population of Tajikistan that those countries, which provided financing, today also, patronize the IRPT members.

The attempt on the constitutional system that committed on September 4th, 2015 by the IRPT was planned and funded from abroad. According to available information, TEO IRPT active members are now in one of the European countries and currently enjoy the support of their foreign masters. The film that was recently prepared by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan and submitted to the people removed the veil from the faces of their owners and I do not see the need to re-comment it. This film completely reveals the truth and reality and it is the best evidence for the IRPT and their foreign patrons.

— What measures are taken by the Interpol National Central Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan to detain TEO IRPT active members who had found asylum abroad?

— The Interpol National Central Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan, becoming a full member of the international organization Interpol in 2004, had established good and close relations and cooperation with the 194 member states of this organization. After obtaining reliable data on the location of the wanted persons, the Interpol National Central Bureau operatively contacts with the Interpol General Secretariat and takes targeted measures to detain the criminals. As a result of our efforts to date, it became manage to detain and extradite to Tajikistan six members of this terrorist-extremist organization. Also, recently, at the crossing of the border and the flight from Greece to Tehran, an active participant and a member of the Political Council of the IRPT Shohnaim Karimi (Mirzorahim Kuzov) was detained, the issue of his extradition to Tajikistan is under consideration. In terms of detentions and extradition of IRPT active members to the Republic of Tajikistan, we are negotiating with a number of states and we hope that our relations will bring us the desired results.

— You noted that the Interpol National Central Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan established its cooperation with 194 countries. Can you say that at what level are these partnerships, and if there are established good relations, then what difficulties exist for detaining TEO IRPT active members, especially their leaders?

— In fact, the Interpol National Central Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan has a friendly and close cooperation with all representatives of Interpol members states and we emphasize it in all meetings and conferences. Despite this, there are representatives of individual states that pursue a policy of double standards, and for reasons unknown to us they do not show due diligence to detain criminals, terrorists and extremists.

But, unfortunately, members of such authoritative international organization provide criminals and terrorists with a tribune.

Namely pointing to this evidence, on September 26th current year in Beijing, China, during the 86th meeting of the Interpol General Assembly, the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan Colonel General Ramazon Rahimzoda emphasized all parties of cooperation in this direction and expressed that “Unfortunately, sometimes, the presence of emptiness in the laws and political inclinations allow criminals, after committing serious and particularly grace crimes, terrorist and extremist acts in order to escape from punishment flee to other countries and despite the fact that they are on the wanted lists take refuge and move freely”.

I want to note that those, who betray the Motherland and the nation and intend to realize the goals of their foreign patrons in their Homeland, if not today, definitely tomorrow they will be detained and answered before the law and the Tajik nation.

Since, according to Article 31 of the Charter of the International Interpol Organization, the countries that are members of this organization should constantly and actively cooperate in the fulfillment of the set for them goals and are obliged to fulfill their work sincerely.

“Jumhuriyat” newspaper
22.11.2017 #239