Faraj.tj website reports that several dozens of people gathered near the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Dushanbe today carrying the following posters: "Down with Kabiri!"; "We do not want the recurrence of the events of 1992-2000"; "What do you want from the people of Tajikistan?"; and "Return our children".
The protest meeting reportedly lasted for not more than half an hour and those gathered then dispersed.
Tajikistan and Iran have traditionally close relations, sharing many similar cultural, religious and ethnic identifiers and Iran has been a major sponsor of essential hydropower infrastructure in Tajikistan, but Iran has angered Tajikistan by welcoming the Islamic Revival Party (IRPT) leader Muhiddin Kabiri, who is wanted by police in Tajikistan to face various terrorism charges.
In April 2016, Tajikistan's customs service introduced restrictions on the import of food products from Iran. Dry leaf tea, poultry and other goods were ruled unacceptable for their allegedly poor quality. In July 2016, the Tajik office of Iran's Khomeini Imdod Committee, an international development fund, closed. In early July this year, the Iranian trade and culture center in the Tajik northern city of Khujand, which was particularly appreciated for its library services and fast internet, closed its doors. The shuttering reportedly came at the request of the Tajik authorities.
Iran's Embassy in Dushanbe on August 9, 2017 released a statement, in which it dismisses "unfounded claims made in the documentary." The statement posted on the Embassy's website, in particular, described such claims as 'regrettable' saying there is no doubt that the documentary's producers will not be able to mar cultural bonds and historic friendship between the two nations of Iran and Tajikistan.