In January 2026, three more children of political prisoners left the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRPT). On January 7 of this year, the press service of the IRPT issued a statement from the Executive Council of the IRPT. “Shukhrat Rahmatullo, Muhammadikboli Khusaini, and Khisomidin Zubaidullo submitted their resignation from the party of their own […]
In January 2026, three more children of political prisoners left the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRPT).
On January 7 of this year, the press service of the IRPT issued a statement from the Executive Council of the IRPT.
“Shukhrat Rahmatullo, Muhammadikboli Khusaini, and Khisomidin Zubaidullo submitted their resignation from the party of their own accord and no longer have any relation to it,” the statement said.
The reasons for their departure were not specified.
Muhammadikbol Khusaini, son of political prisoner and former first deputy chairman of the IRPT Saidumara Khusaini, confirmed his departure from the party in an interview with Azda.tv.
“The current leadership and responsible persons of the party, failing to fulfill their obligations, have driven the party into a dead end politically and organizationally. For more than ten years, while the party has been abroad and high-ranking members are imprisoned, the IRPT leadership has not taken any serious steps to free political prisoners. The party leadership has also not made sufficient efforts to protect all its members, and instead of acknowledging existing problems and solving them, it has been engaged in blaming ordinary party members. During this time, not a single serious initiative, reform, or significant change has been implemented or proposed that could pull the party out of the crisis, which has paid thousands of victims and prisoners and once had real power. For these reasons, I submitted my resignation to the Supreme Presidium of the IRPT,” said Muhammadikbol Khusaini.
At the same time, Muhammadikbol Khusaini emphasized that he is not leaving politics but intends to focus on human rights activities and continue the fight for the release of political prisoners, including his father Saidumara Khusaini, who has been imprisoned for more than ten years.
Shukhrat Rahmatullo, son of political prisoner Rahmatullohi Rajab, told Azda.tv that leaving the party does not mean he will cease his activities. According to him, after leaving the IRPT, he will maintain his position and continue the struggle, remaining concerned about social and political issues.
He also emphasized that the reasons for his departure were “the lack of a serious strategy in the party, the silence of the majority of members of the Supreme Presidium of the IRPT, weak management, improper personnel selection, limiting activities to mere statements, the absence of an effective program for the release of political prisoners, as well as a focus on internal criticism, unfounded accusations, and the marginalization of dissenters.”
When asked by Azda.tv whether his resignation would bring relief to himself or his relatives who are imprisoned, the activist stated:
“If my resignation would bring relief to me or my loved ones, believe me, I would have done it much earlier. Those who thought that leaving the party would bring relief and therefore left it are now in a state of fear and constant anxiety. On the contrary, after my resignation, I felt independent.”
Hisomidin Zubaidulloh, the son of Zubaidullo Rozik, one of the oldest political prisoners in the country who died in prison in September 2025, also stated that after 20 years of membership in the PIVT, he concluded that it was necessary to leave the party “due to the irresponsibility and incompetence of the leadership in managing the party, he decided to leave the PIVT until deep and real reforms are carried out and until the current group of leaders leaves their positions.”
On the other hand, the leadership of the PIVT rejects the arguments presented by these individuals as reasons for their departure from the party. The first deputy chairman of the PIVT, Islomjon Saidov, sharply dismissed these statements in a conversation with Azda.tv.
“There can be many reasons for leaving the PIVT, however, it can be confidently said that what our brothers are talking about is not the main reason for their departure,” noted Islomjon Saidov.
According to the first deputy chairman of the party, “the real picture is quite different, and the work that the PIVT has done to date in all areas where complaints are expressed, if not ideal, is at least satisfactory.”
“It is easiest to protest and shift one’s own inaction onto others. If they really sought improvements and development, they would have proven it through their actions and practical activities,” emphasized Saidov.
He attributed the criticism from those who left the party to “detachment from reality and its disregard,” adding that in response to the dissatisfaction of some members, the PIVT carried out reforms, and “as a result, Mukhiddin Kabiri was re-elected as chairman of the PIVT.”
“Although he himself repeatedly raised the issue of his resignation at meetings of the Supreme Presidium, proposed to nominate another candidate, and even withdrew his own candidacy, nevertheless, at the persistent request of the majority of the members of the Supreme Presidium, who, by the way, are associates and friends of the fathers of these brothers, he was re-elected as chairman of the party for another four years. If the activities of the party leadership were really as these brothers claim, would the Supreme Presidium, consisting of more than 20 people, have allowed this? Of course not,” emphasized Islomjon Saidov.
It is worth noting that in the summer of 2025, the PIVT carried out structural reforms, including adopting a new charter, organizing elections, as a result of which Mukhiddin Kabiri was re-elected as the party leader for another four years. Three deputies were also elected, and several new members were included in the composition of the Supreme Governing Council.
After this, Muhammadikboli Sadriddin, now a former party member, resigned in protest against the internal reforms of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) and announced the creation of the movement “Islohtokhon” (Reformers).
Earlier, on December 30, 2025, Bobodzhon Kayumov, who held the position of press secretary of the IRPT, and Mahmudjon Faizrahmonov, head of the party’s external relations department, in their joint statement announced that after more than thirty years of active work, they were leaving the party, as they concluded that political Islam, including the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan, would ultimately reach a dead end.
Prior to this, after the ban on the IRPT in 2015, former deputy chairman of the party Muhammadkarimi Orzu announced his resignation during his son’s wedding in Vienna.