The chairman of the Uzbek State Security Service (DXX), Ikhtiyor Abdullayev named the external and internal factors that threaten Uzbekistan’s security.
The Senate passed the State Security Service Bill Thursday. Commenting on the bill, Ihtiyor Abdullayev stressed the importance of ensuring peace and stability in the country, protecting the state not only from the external but also from internal threats in the wake of the reforms undertaken as part of the Uzbekistan’s Development Strategy for 2017-2021.
"Firstly, it is the activation in the north of Afghanistan of the Islamic State terrorist group, the Taliban movement, the Islamic Movement of Turkestan and other armed groups, the return to Uzbekistan of the natives of the Central Asia who were radicalized in the extremist armed groupsc", - he noted.
"The second serious issue is related to the opening of borders with neighboring states and to the increase in the number of tourists and investors entering Uzbekistan. While, there is some concern about increased likelihood of attempts to bring in destructive religious literature, drugs and weapons," he continued.
Ikhtiyor Abdullayev pointed to the activation of various separatist groups "financed by foreign special services", as well as the intensification of religious fanaticism because of "misinterpretation" of freedom of religion.
"As you know, there are cases when some of our compatriots are influenced by the Salafism movement, they grow beards, some children take lessons in hujras. In addition, some people request the executives of schools and lyceums that boys and girls study separately, and this is the evidence of wrong interpretation of freedom of religion," he said.
"Some forces that bring confusion and consider themselves political opposition are getting active," he added.
"We have information that “Erk and Birlik non-state opposition parties” have applied to the Ministry of Justice. Their main goal for now is to legalize their activities, and tomorrow it is to disrupt peace and tranquility in our country,“ Ikhtiyor Abdullayev said.
He also touched upon the issue of Uzbek labor migrants and their recruitment by foreign special services and extremist movements to achieve their own goals.
Ihtiyor Abdullayev drew attention to the activation in neighboring countries of international organizations that have interest in organizing the "color revolutions".
"We must not overlook the attempts by foreign partners to implement harmful and useless investment projects in Uzbekistan, otherwise it can inflict great damage to our economy," he said.
The existence of such factors required the reforming of the State Security Service (formerly the National Security Service), Ikhtiyor Abdullayev stressed.
"For 26 years, the activity of the service had not been regulated within the law, and this, in turn, had brought plenty of problems," he said.
The new law defines the State Security Service as a special authorized body that protects the constitutional order, sovereignty, territorial integrity and interests of Uzbekistan against external and internal threats. The DXX is subordinate and accountable directly to the Head of State.
Ikhtiyor Abdullayev, who served as Uzbekistan's general prosecutor since 2015, was appointed as the head of State Security Service in late January. In mid-March, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree on the transformation of the National Security Service into the State Security Service.
