A group of activists claiming the Tajikistan government is exerting pressure on the Muslim community in the Central Asian country staged a protest in front of the Tajik consulate in Istanbul yesterday.

The group claimed the Tajik administration has "persecuted" Muslims and the Tajik intelligence service was often "conducting operations" against Muslims in the country.

Speaking on behalf of the activists, Suhrob Zafar called on Tajik President Emomali Rahmon to step down for his regime's oppression of Tajik Muslims.

Zafar also called for a more thorough investigation into find the killers of Umarali Kuvatov, the leader of a Tajik opposition group who was shot dead in Istanbul in March.

Kuvatov, who heads Group 24, a Tajik opposition movement, was shot dead in Istanbul's Fatih district, which is popular among migrants from former Soviet republics. An inquiry found he was first poisoned and then shot dead by a man he befriended. His wife had blamed the Tajik regime for the murder.