Freedom of Speech. US Ambassador to Tajikistan expresses concern about amendments to Tajikistan’s legislation

“US Ambassador Tracy Jacobson says that her country protects freedom of speech, and she hopes that the Tajik government will create free environment for the media in the country”. BBC news line, 24 September 2007

Commenting the newly adopted amendments in Tajikistan’s Criminal Code concerning the criminalization of Internet materials containing alleged defamation of individuals, the US Ambassador to Tajikistan Tracy Jacobson said, “We are monitoring the ongoing developments, and we’ll be watching closely the practical implementation of the amended legislation. In case of problems, we will require the Tajik government to respect the freedom of expression.”

The draft amendments in Tajikistan’s Criminal Code concerning criminal responsibility for publications in the Internet have been adopted in the country, which has very few Internet users. Experts say that this step will further enforce self-censorship. It is seen as an essential impediment to dissemination of information among Tajik citizens.

NANSMIT Monitoring Service


Date: 26.09.2007