DUSHANBE, August 31, 2012, Asia-Plus – Three activists of the Mahmadruzi Iskandarov-run wing of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan (DPT) have applied to the Swish Government for political asylum, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reports.

Among them are reportedly Temour Toshev, the brother of Mahmadruzi Iskandarov, Sino Asadullo, the head of DPT’s youth organization, and the party activist Jamoliddin Nazriyev.

According to RFE/RL, they left Tajikistan three months ago and they are currently in Stockholm.  Their application for political asylum has been submitted for consideration to the Swedish immigration service agency and hearing over their application is expected to take place next week.

The Democratic Party of Tajikistan can trace its origins back to the last days of the Soviet Union.  Registered on June 21, 1991 and banned by the Supreme Court on June 21, 1993, the Democratic Party of Tajikistan was reregistered on December 3, 1999.

At the end of 1990s, two factions laid claim to the Democratic Party of Tajikistan: the Almaty platform led by Mahmadruzi Iskandarov and the Tehran platform run by Azam Afzali.  The Tehran platform later transformed itself into the Taraqqiyot (Progress) Party.

On October 5, 2005, the Supreme Court sentenced DPT leader Mahmadruzi Iskandarov to 23 years in prison.  The sentence followed his conviction on charges of terrorism, the embezzlement of state funds, and the illegal storage of weapons, though his supporters say he was jailed for political motives.

The party split into two factions again and the Ministry of Justice recognized Masoud Sobirov as the legitimate leader of the Democratic Party of Tajikistan in October 2006.