Dushanbe, Tajikistan, August 08, 2012 – With a grant from the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) Section of the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan, the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA) is launching a 14-month legal literacy program, which will produce and broadcast ten 40-minute episodes about the life and work of a lawyer defending the rural poor of Tajikistan.

The Almaty-based independent media-rights organization Adil Soz has announced that Kazakh journalist Lukpan Akhmedyarov has won the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism.

Reporters Without Borders, an international organization that campaigns for freedom of information, and its partner organization the National Association of Independent Media in Tajikistan (NANSMIT), wish to inform you of their profound concern at the announcement by the Tajik government communications service that a group of observers will be formed to monitor online publications and websites for insulting or libellous content.

Officers from Main Department of Border Force under the State Committee on National Security of the Republic of Tajikistan, Migration Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and Drug Combat Department of Interior Ministry of the Republic of Tajikistan participated in Intelligence Gathering, Analysis and Information Sharing National training during 31 July-1 August 2012.

Access to the leading independent news website Asia-Plus has been blocked for the third time in two months. It was last blocked on 23 July (see below) and had only just been restored when it was blocked again yesterday. Tajikistan’s Internet Service Providers are doing the blocking at the behest of the Communications Agency, which cites “technical reasons.”

Dushanbe, Tajikistan, August 1, 2012 – The U.S. Embassy is deeply concerned over continued blockage of several Internet news sites and Youtube.

Experienced journalists worldwide who wish to learn more about democracy can apply for a fellowship.

International rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned a Kazakh court’s decision to financially punish an opposition journalist in a controversial libel case.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has called on Tajikistan to unblock the video-sharing website YouTube and ensure the free flow of information.

The United Nations has been monitoring the events unfolding in Khorog since 24 July, when the Government of Tajikistan launched a special operation in Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast. The UN regrets loss of life and expresses its concern about the possible humanitarian impact of the reported operation on the civilian population of Khorog and its surroundings.