In a statement released on December 13, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) calls on Tajik authorities to immediately release journalist Khairullo Mirsaidov and drop all charges brought against him.

“In a place where free media and critical voices are nearly non-existent, journalists like Mirsaidov should be recognized for the important work they do, not locked up on bogus charges,» the New York-based media watchdog’s Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney said.

Mirsaidov, 39, is a former correspondent of the Dushanbe-based Asia-Plus news agency and Germany’s Deutsche Welle radio.

The Tajik authorities did not immediately respond to CPJ’s request for comment.

Earlier on December 13, CPJ published a report saying that the number of journalists imprisoned worldwide had hit another new record.

According to the report, the number of journalists imprisoned worldwide hit another new record in 2017.   In its annual prison census, CPJ found 262 journalists behind bars around the world in relation to their work, a new record after a historical high of 259 last year.

https://news.tj/en/news/tajikistan/society/20171214/cpj-calls-on-tajik-authorities-to-release-khairullo-mirsaidov-and-drop-all-charges-against-him