Round-Up 2009: Wars and disputed elections: The most dangerous stories for journalists / Bilan 2009 : Guerres et élections contestées : sujets les plus dangereux pour les journalistes

Reporters Without Borders / Reporters sans frontières

Round-Up 2009

30 December 2009

Press freedom in 2009

76 journalists killed (60 in 2008)
33 journalists kidnapped
573 journalists arrested
1456 physically assaulted
570 media censored
157 journalists fled their countries
1 blogger died in prison
151 bloggers and cyber-dissidents arrested
61 physically assaulted
60 countries affected by online censorship

Full report: http://www.rsf.org/IMG/pdf/Bilan_2009_GB_BD.pdf

Wars and disputed elections: The most dangerous stories for journalists

Two appalling events marked 2009: one was the largest ever massacre of journalists in a single day – a total of 30 killed – by the private militia of a governor in the southern Philippines and the other was an unprecedented wave of arrests and convictions of journalists and bloggers in Iran following President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disputed reelection.

A total of around 160 journalists in all continents were forced to go into exile to escape prison or death, often in very dangerous circumstances. The Iranian press photographers crossing the Turkish border to escape arrest or the Somali radio journalists fleeing to neighbouring countries to avoid certain death had all reported essential news and information that some people would go to any lengths to suppress.

Wars and elections constituted the chief threat to journalists in 2009. It is becoming more and more risky to cover wars as journalists themselves are being targeted and face the possibility of being murdered or kidnapped. But it can turn out to be just as dangerous to do your job as a reporter at election time and can lead directly to prison or hospital. Violence before and after elections was particularly prevalent in 2009 in countries with poor democratic credentials.

No one should be surprised that, as bloggers and websites continue to flourish, censorship and repression have surged proportionately. There is almost no country nowadays that has entirely escaped this phenomenon. As soon as the Internet or new media (social networking, mobile phones etc) start to play a leading role in the spread of news and information, a serious clampdown follows. Bloggers are now watched as closely as journalists from the traditional media.

Our major concern in 2009 has been the mass exodus of journalists from repressive countries such as Iran and Sri Lanka. The authorities in these countries have understood that by pushing journalists into exile, they can drastically reduce pluralism of ideas and the amount of criticism they attract. “This is a dangerous tendency and it must be very strongly condemned,” Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Jean-François Julliard said as this review of 2009 was released.

Number of journalists killed up by 26 per cent

Almost every journalist killed in 2009 died in their own country. The exception was Franco-Spanish documentary film-maker Christian Poveda, who was murdered in El Salvador. “Less known to international public opinion than the foreign correspondents, it is these local journalists who pay the highest price every year to guarantee our right to be informed about wars, corruption or the destruction of the environment,” Julliard said.

The year began very badly with the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip. As well as refusing to allow foreign media into this territory, the Israeli government carried out military strikes against buildings housing media, in violation of international humanitarian law. Two reporters were killed in these attacks. Journalists and human rights defenders in the Russian Caucasus went through a terrifying year. The witnesses to the dirty war waged by Moscow and its local allies to be “eliminated” with complete impunity included Natalia Estemirova in Chechnya and Malik Akhmedilov in Dagestan.
Radical Islamist groups caused the death of at least 15 journalists worldwide. Nine reporters were killed in Somalia, where the Al-Shabaab militia carried out constant targeted killings and suicide attacks. Four of these journalists worked for Radio Shabelle, which does its best to provide news amidst the surrounding chaos. Reporters in Pakistan have increasingly been targeted by the Taliban in the northwest of the country.

Kidnappings have also continued to rise. Most cases are concentrated in Afghanistan, Mexico and Somalia. New York Times journalist David Rohde and his fixer managed to escape from the Taliban but Afghan reporter Sultan Munadi was killed in the military operation launched to rescue him.

“Three years have passed since the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1738 on the protection of journalists in conflict zones but governments still seem incapable of protecting reporters,” Reporters Without Borders said.

Other forms of violence, physical assaults and threats have gone up by a third (from 929 cases in 2008 to 1,456 in 2009). Journalists are most at risk in the Americas (501 cases), particularly when they expose drug-trafficking or local potentates. Asia comes next with 364 cases of this kind, chiefly in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. The number of censored media is escalating alarmingly with nearly 570 cases of newspapers, radio or TV stations banned from putting out news or forced to close. This happened to a satirical magazine in Malaysia, a score of reformist newspapers in Iran, Radio France Internationale in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the BBC World Service in Rwanda.

The number of journalists arrested fell slightly (from 673 in 2008 to 573 in 2009) above all because there were fewer cases in Asia. The largest number of cases was in the Middle East.

Election violence

The 30 journalists killed in the Mindanao Island bloodbath in Philippines had been covering an attempt by a local governor’s opponent to run as a candidate for regional elections in 2010. Tunisian journalist Taoufik Ben Brik was imprisoned in the days following President Ben Ali’s reelection, while his colleague, Slim Boukhdhir, was brutally assaulted. Several journalists were attacked and others received death threats in Gabon following President Ali Bongo’s reelection. Around six media were also temporarily shut down for reporting on the post-election violence and criticising members of the new government. Protests about President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s controversial reelection in Iran prompted a horrifying wave of repression against the media.

Pluralist elections that should be a symbol of democracy and free expression can turn into a nightmare for journalists. State media are too often prevented from giving fair and balanced coverage of all the candidates’ campaigns. Such was the case during the contentious Afghan elections and the travesty of an election in Equatorial Guinea. The most committed journalists can be exposed to reprisals from a rival camp. Media access is not always properly observed, as evidenced in provincial polling in the Tamil areas of Sri Lanka.

The most serious problems arise when results are announced. Overwhelmed by an opposition movement that was relayed online and in the reformist press, Ahmadinejad’s supporters launched an ultra-violent crackdown on hundreds of journalists and bloggers, accusing them of being spies in the pay of foreigners or bent on destabilising the country.

The courage shown by journalists this year before and after elections earned them periods in custody, mistreatment and prison sentences that were in some cases extremely harsh. These post-election crackdowns should stimulate the international community to seek better ways of protecting the press after rigged election results are announced.

“This wave of violence bodes ill for 2010, when crucial elections are scheduled in Côte d’Ivoire, Sri Lanka, Burma, Iraq and the Palestinian Territories” said Reporters Without Borders, which often carries out media monitoring during election campaigns.

More than 100 bloggers and cyber-dissidents imprisoned

For the first time since the Internet’s emergence, Reporters Without Borders is aware of more than 100 bloggers and cyber-dissidents being imprisoned worldwide for posting their opinions online. This figure is indicative above all of the scale of the crackdown being carried out in around ten countries. Several countries have turned online expression into a criminal offence, dashing hopes of a censorship-free Internet.
The Internet has been the driving force for pro-democracy campaigns in Iran, China and elsewhere. It is above all for this reason that authoritarian governments have shown themselves so determined to severely punish Internet users. This is the case with two Azerbaijani bloggers, who were sentenced to two years in prison for making a film mocking the political elite.

Although China continued to be the leading Internet censor in 2009, Iran, Tunisia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Uzbekistan have also resorted to frequent blocking of websites and blogs and surveillance of online expression. The Turkmen Internet remains under total state control.
This year, bloggers and ordinary citizens expressing themselves online have been assaulted, threatened or arrested as the popularity of social-networking and interactive websites has soared. Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer is still in jail, while the famous Burmese comedian Zarganar still has 34 years of his prison sentence to serve. The approximately 120 victims of Internet policing also include such leading figures in the defence of online free expression as China’s Hu Jia and Liu Xiaobo and Vietnam’s Nguyen Trung and Dieu Cay.

The financial crisis has joined the list of subjects likely to provoke censorship, particularly online. In South Korea, a blogger was wrongfully detained for commenting on the country’s disastrous economic situation. Around six netizens in Thailand were arrested or harassed just for making a connection between the king’s health and a fall in the Bangkok stock exchange. Censorship was slapped on the media in Dubai when it came for them to report on the country’s debt repayment problems.

Democratic countries have not lagged far behind. Several European countries are working on new steps to control the Internet in the name of the battle against child porn and illegal downloads. Australia has said it will set up a compulsory filtering system that poses a threat to freedom of expression. Turkey’s courts have increased the number of websites, including YouTube, that are blocked for criticising the republic’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

“The number of countries affected by online censorship has doubled from one year to the next – a disturbing tendency that shows an increase in control over new media as millions of netizens get active online,” said Lucie Morillon, head of the Internet and Freedoms Desk. “That is why Reporters Without Borders will launch a new campaign against the Enemies of the Internet on 12 March.”

Media on trial

At least 167 journalists are in prison around the world at the end of 2009. One would need to go back to the 1990s to find so many of them in jail. Although the UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression keeps reiterating that imprisonment is a disproportionate punishment for press offences, many governments keep laws that allow them to jail journalists, and continue to abuse these laws. The sentences given to journalists in Cuba, China, Sri Lanka and Iran are as harsh as those imposed for terrorism or violent crime.

Imprisonment and brutality are too often the only way authorities react to journalists. At least one journalist is assaulted or arrested every day in the Middle East. More than 60 journalists were physically attacked or arrested in Iraq in 2009. In the Palestinian Territories, more than 50 journalists were detained by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and by Fatah in the West Bank.

Africa and Asia were neck and neck in the numbers of journalists detained. More than 10 journalists were arrested in 2009 in Niger, Gambia and Somalia, while Eritrea maintained its dubious distinction of jailing the most journalists in Africa, with 32 of them behind bars. In Asia, arrests are thankfully down, but the Chinese and Pakistani security forces continue to arrest foreign or local journalists when they crossed the “red lines” they are supposed to observe.

The 28 June coup in Honduras, which was backed by the conservative press, resulted in the persecution of journalists suspected of sympathizing with the ousted president, Manuel Zelaya, and the suspension or permanent closure of their media. Finally, Cuba drew attention to itself again this year with at least 24 arrests and two new long jail sentences, bringing to 25 the number of journalists in prison.

When the powerful are not arresting journalists, they are harassing them by constantly dragging them before the courts. One editor in Algeria, Omar Belhouchet, was summoned before judges 15 times in 2009. The opposition press in Turkey and Morocco have been bombarded with law suits, which almost always lead to convictions or closures because the courts are more inclined to favour the plaintiff than the media.

Choosing exile to stay Alive

For the first time, the Reporters Without Borders annual roundup includes figures for journalists who have been forced to leave their countries because of threats to their lives or liberty. A total of 157 journalists went into exile in the past year, often in very harsh conditions. Among the countries where the exodus of journalists and bloggers was particularly dramatic were Iran, with more than 50 fleeing, and Sri Lanka, with 29. In Africa, some 50 journalists fled the chaos in Somalia while scores of Eritreans sought refuge abroad for fear of being targeted for reprisals by the continent’s worst dictatorship. Journalists also fled Guinea, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Mexico, Colombia and Ethiopia.

This new measure is an indication of the level of fear that exists within the media in some countries. Journalists encounter many hazards as they go into exile and seek an uncertain future. Some wait months, even years, to get protection and possible resettlement.

Reporters Without Borders / Reporters sans fronti&

Источник: http://www.rsf.org/IMG/pdf/Bilan_2009_GB_BD.pdf

Coordinator of the monitoring network in Tajikistan
Abdufatoh Vohidov
Chief of legal service
Orifjon Azimov
Chief of project in Tajikistan
Nuriddin Karshiboev

Freedom of Speech in Tajikistan December 2009

In December 2009 the NANSMIT Monitoring Service received 19 reports. Fourteen of them describe the factual situation in the media in the light of socio-legal and political environment; three reports describe direct violations of rights of media professionals; and two reports describe conflicts and accusations against the media and journalists.

I. PECULIARITIES OF POLITICAL, SOCIAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEGAL CLIMATE IN THE COUNTRY DEFINING THE FACTUAL SITUATION IN THE MEDIA

1. Public speeches and statements of superior officials defining the factual situation in the mass media

9 December
Emomali Rakhmon, President of Tajikistan, Dushanbe

On 8 December, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rakhmon had a meeting with representatives of the Tajik mass media, executive authorities and government agencies.

The head of the state discussed the issues of influence of the mass media on the society. “I urge journalists to unite in the name of vitally important interests of Tajikistan, whereas public officials should not divide the media into “the state” and “non-state” ones.

21 December
Sherkhon Salimzoda, State Advisor to the President on Legal Issues, Dushanbe

Sherkhon Salimzoda, State Advisor to the President on Legal Issues urged Tajik journalists to comprehensively cover the forthcoming parliamentary elections. Salimzoda applied to journalists at the seminar “Mass media and the right to participate in political life and governance” organized by the Tajik government and the Friedrich Ebert Fund.

2. Evaluation of the factual status of the media and the freedom of speech

7 December
Radio Vatan, Khatlon province

On 6 December, the private Tajik radio company “Vatan” launched broadcasting in Khatlon province of Tajikistan on the frequency of 102,4 FM.

So far, Khatlon was covered only by official broadcasting companies. Radio Vatan has become the first private broadcaster who received the license and expanded the area of its information influence.

11 December
Eurasian Media Forum in Moscow

The Russian capital hosted a two-day Eurasian Media Forum attended by 150 top managers of the media, representatives of the CIS and Baltic States, politicians and public figures. The Russian news agency “RIA Novosti” was the main organizer of the Forum. Tajikistan was represented by Sadriddin Shamsiddinov, director of the State News Agency “Khovar”.

This was the fourth International Forum; the first one was conducted in 2006. Participant discussed the issues of professional cooperation, development and opportunities for joint multimedia projects.

16 December
Sukhan weekly, Dushanbe

The Tajik Union of Journalists has launched its own printing outlet – Sukhan. The new weekly is published in two languages – Tajik and Russian.

“The newspaper with the same name existed in the early 1990-s. It was founded by the well-known Tajik journalist Otakhon Latifi,” — says Pulod Nurov, executive secretary of the Union of Journalists. — “It was a very open and audacious source of information. The newspaper was covering the issues of democratic alterations in the society”.

The new outlet is designed as a creative professional platform for journalists conducive to consolidation and unity of the media community in Tajikistan.

17 December
Bulleting of the Tajik Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, Dushanbe

According to the Nuri Zindagi weekly (#51, 17.12.09), the Tajik Academy of Pedagogical issued its educational methodological magazine. The outlet contains materials on the problems of national and global pedagogical practices, teaching techniques, etc.

24 December
Farazh weekly, Dushanbe

The Farazh weekly celebrated its third anniversary. During this period the newspaper has overcome plenty of difficulties, and won the hearts of its audience. At present, Farazh is one of the most popular printing outlet in Tajikistan.

3. Journalists protecting their civil and professional rights

14 December
All media, Dushanbe

On 14 December, the Tajik Union of Journalists, NANSMIT, TajANESMI and the OSCE Bureau in Dushanbe held a round table on the topic “Access to information – guarantee of transparency and accountability”.

Participants discussed legal and practical aspects of access to information. The issue of access to information has become very relevant, especially after the adoption of the government decree “On the order of payment for provision of information to government agencies” endorsed in October 2009.

15 December
Online journalism, Dushanbe

On 15 December the Tajik-Russian Slavic University organized an open lecture on the topic “Human rights initiatives and online journalism”. The lecture is conducted within the framework of the project “Human rights and education through the media in Central Asia” implemented by the UK-based NGO Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR). The project is funded by the European Union.

The main task of the lecture is to share and disseminate information about human rights and the ways of protection of liberties by means of the Internet and online journalism.

19 December
All media, Dushanbe

On 18-19 December, IWPR conducted a ToT (training for trainers) session for representatives of Tajik NGOs and the media.

This training is organized within the framework of the project “Human rights and education through the media in Central Asia” funded by the European Union.

II. VIOLATION OF RIGHTS IN THE MEDIA

1. Ungrounded limitations in access to information

9 December
Vetcherny Dushanbe weekly, Dushanbe

The Tajik weekly “Vetcherny Dushanbe” published an article (#49, 03.12.09) about the termination of broadcasting of the Russian federal TV channel ORT. The newspaper says that residents of the Tajik capital send their letters with complaints and regrets about the missing favorite TV station. Correspondents of “Vetcherny Dushanbe” approached the State Broadcasting Committee for clarifications. They asked dozens of officials including Mr. Sukhrob Aliev, head of Teleradiocom, the technical service under the Committee. The journalists received no intelligible answer.

The newspaper approached personally Mr. Asadullo Rakhmonov, head of the Broadcasting Committee. He promised to answer, but did not respond.

15 December
All media, Dushanbe

“The Decree of the Tajik government “On the order of payment for information to the government institutions” makes the government and private mass media unequal,” — said Abdusattor Nuraliev, professor of the Tajik-Russian Slavic University. The statement was made at around table organized by NANSMIT, the Tajik Union of Journalists, and TajANESMI under support of the OSCE Bureau in Tajikistan.

The week-known Tajik lawyer Rakhmatillo Zoirov criticized the Decree. He revealed 12 discrepancies with the Tajik law “On access to information”. Nuriddin Karshibaev, chairman of NANSMIT said that the incompliance between the Tajik laws and bylaws leads to misinterpretations in the legislation.

2. Violation of economic rights in the media

24 December
SMT TV, Dushanbe

The Ozadagon newspaper (#51, 24.12.09) published an article titled “Who’s stronger – SMT or ORT?”. “It’s been several years since the Russian ORT channel rebroadcasts its programs on the territory of Tajikistan without an official license fro the Tajik Ministry of Communication and Transport”, — says the article. — “During the last few months, the two stations – the Tajik SMT and the Russian ORT – have been broadcasting on the same frequency.”

ORT is being broadcast by the Russian 201-st infantry division deployed in Tajikistan. The military unit does not have the license, whereas the SMT TV has it.

Zinatulloh Ismoilov, director of SMT complaints that his company has all relevant permissions, but it has been experiencing problems because of the careless attitude of the communication officials. “We approached the Ministry several times. They promised to help, but nothing’s changed”, — said Ismoilov.

Experts say that the “broadcasting incident” turns into a political farce. And it is taking place on the eve of the parliamentary elections.

III. CONFLICTS. VIOLATIONS INCRIMINATED TO THE MEDIA AND JOURNALISTS

1. Claim for protection of honor, dignity and business reputation affected by publication of certain data

9 December
The Committee on Emergency Situations and Civil Defense, Dushanbe

The Paikon weekly (#39, 09.12.09) published a letter of the chairman of the Committee on Emergency Situations and Civil Defense, who addressed Tajik journalists asking them to properly check the data they receive.

This report is based on compiled materials from the media and private information presented by correspondents of the NANSMIT Monitoring Network

Coordinator of the Monitoring Service
Abdufattokh Vokhidov

Project Manager
Nuriddin Karshibayev

Reporters Without Borders said it was extremely shocked at the death today of Kyrgyzstan journalist Gennady Pavlyuk who was thrown from a sixth floor window in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 16 December. Police confirmed he had been found at the foot of the building with his hands and feet bound.

The worldwide press freedom organisation expressed its deep sympathy with his family and colleagues.

The fatal attack, this time in a neighbouring country, is the third in a week launched against Kyrgyzstan journalists of Russian origin. Political analyst Alexander Knyazev was attacked in the capital Bishkek on 9 December and the correspondent for Russian news agency BaltInfo, Alexander Evgrafov, was struck and threatened by uniformed police on 15 December.

“Ten days ahead of taking over the presidency of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Kazakh authorities cannot allow a murder like this to go unpunished and the Kyrghiz side must cooperate in resolving this case”, the organisation said.

“It is impossible at the moment to establish a direct link between the murder of Gennady Pavlyuk and the two previous assaults, even if a vocal minority has wanted to give the impression that it was a concerted plan. But in any event, the exploitation of these attacks in the interests of a strategy of nationalist and political tension is unacceptable. Journalists cannot go on being taken hostage by the extreme polarisation of Kyrgyzstan political life”.

“President Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s stranglehold on the public debate stifling any space for free expression is contributing to the radicalisation of opposition forces and exacerbating tension. All political forces should immediately renounce the use of violence against journalists”, it added.

Following the assaults against Alexander Knyazev and Alexander Evgrafov, several Kyrghiz media received an email claiming responsibility and containing threats against minorities, particularly Russian, viewed as being supporters of the former president Askar Akayev. The Russian press raised an outcry that “journalists with links to Russia” appeared to be targeted in a “terror campaign”. Pavlyuk was, like the other two targeted journalists, a Russian Kyrghiz believed to be close to the opposition.

The press office of the Kyrghiz interior ministry on 18 December confirmed that Pavlyuk had been found two days earlier unconscious at the foot of a building on Furmanov Street, in the heart of the Kyrghiz capital. His rescuers found that he had multiple fractures and a serious head injury with internal bleeding. They concluded that he had been thrown from a fifth or sixth floor window. He was then said to be critically ill at the trauma department of Almaty’s central clinic.

Pavlyuk had recently become close to the opposition party Ata Meken, for which he was planning to create a website and a weekly news bulletin.

A number of questions remain unanswered, starting with the reason for which the journalist had gone to Almaty. It is not known whether he had an appointment in the building or if he had been taken there against his will, as believed by representatives of Ata Meken who travelled there at the weekend. Police in Almaty have opened a criminal investigation.

A known independent, Pavlyuk made his reputation as editor of the Kyrghiz edition of the Russian newspaper Argumenty i Fakty, under the regime of the former president Askar Akayev. Highly critical of the new government that emanated from the “tulip revolution” in 2005, the journalist at one time thought of leaving the country. Using the pseudonym Ibraguim Rustambek, he then became editor of the Kyrghiz edtion of Komsomolskaya Pravda, and one of the best known writers for the independent newspaper Bely Parokhod, editing its online version.

Bely Parokhod cast a highly critical eye on cases of corruption linked to the privatisation of energy companies. For the last year, the newspaper’s editor, Yelena Avdeeva, complained of pressure from the “energy barons”. The paper’s website was regularly being made inaccessible and the site frequently had to change its address, while the print version was renamed Bely Parus in anticipation of legal proceedings.

Nationalist rhetoric has deeply infected the political discourse in Kyrghzstan, which has been independent since 1991. It is deployed as much by the ruling party – which has just made it compulsory to stand up when the national anthem is played — as by an opposition that has been quick to condemn the monopoly on power of people from the south of the country.

http://www.rsf.org/spip.php?page=article&id_article=35416

Kyrgyz journalist Gennady Pavlyuk has died in an Almaty hospital nearly a week after police say he was thrown out of a high-rise building in Kazakhstan with his hands and feet bound.

Pavlyuk never regained consciousness following the December 16 attack during a visit to Almaty.

Pavlyuk’s wife Olga told RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service that an autopsy would be performed today in Almaty and that after that she would take the body to Bishkek for burial.

Pavlyuk wrote for several newspapers, including «Argumenty i fakty» and «Komsomolskaya Pravda v Kirgizii.»

Pavlyuk’s supporters have described the incident as an attack on press freedom.

A Kazakh police spokesman said the death is being investigated as a murder, Reuters reports.

Pavlyuk is the third ethnic Russian journalist from Kyrgyzstan to have been attacked or seriously injured in the past two weeks.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Kyrgyz_Journalist_Dies_In_Kazakh_Hospital_After_Attack/1910348.html

The staff at an independent newspaper in the southern Kyrgyz city of Osh have received a death threat and a bullet in a letter, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reports.

Turgunbay Aldakulov, the editor in chief of the newspaper «Osh Shamy» (The Torch of Osh), told RFE/RL that his staff received a New Year’s greeting card with a machine gun bullet and a written threat on December 15.

Reporter Kubanych Joldoshev, who was severely beaten by unknown assailants last month, told RFE/RL that his colleagues are concerned by the threat.

The letter said: «Your lies do not cost anything. But they might cost you something though — your youth. This is our New Year’s Eve announcement. The other two [bullets] are in the AK-47’s magazine. For now, consider this the most humane attitude towards you. But those who do not appreciate [our message] will be punished.»

Police have launched an investigation into the incident.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Kyrgyz_Newspaper_Receives_Bullet_In_Mail/1906027.html

Att.: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Uzbekistan, Ministry of Interior, Republic of Uzbekistan, International Organizations involved with Human Rights Protection

Appeal

On December 17th, 2009 several informational agencies reported about the agitation regarding the criminal case against one of the most well-known Central Asian photographers, Umida Ahmedova. According to the disseminated information, Umida Ahmedova is accused of “insult and slander of the Uzbek nation”. Reason of the presented accusation is a photo album, “Women and Men: From Sunrise to Sunset”, which was published with the support of the Swiss Embassy to Uzbekistan.

It is important to mention that freedom of expression is one of the key criteria of any state governed by the rule of law. Judging any artwork should be done by experts and viewers and not by forces of any official organs. Art is not equal with social and political journalism and cannot be viewed as a “document” in legal sense, therefore it cannot be an agent of “slander”.

Photographs of Umida Ahmedova possess obvious artistic value and are considered as Central Asian cultural asserts by international professional community. The government should be proud of the creativity of the talented photographer and not threaten her with criminal persecution.

Umida Ahmedova is known as an advocate of documentary photography and cinema. Her lens follows the lives of the people in Uzbekistan, their rites and customs; her attention is given to simple people and their everyday behavior. Images, taken by Umida Ahmedova, are not fantasies and not caricatures. They authentically capture that side of life, which people of Uzbekistan face daily; every passerby on the streets, guests at weddings and other family celebrations. Accusation of these easily recognizable captions with “slander” and “insult” can only be done by those who know the life of the Uzbek nation only through reports of official TV channels and through emasculated images of official art.

The example of Umida Ahmedova shows that there is a quality crisis in the consciousness of authorities. From ideological intrusion of their clichés to the society, they turn to legal pressure. Facts of life, which are not corresponding to the official ideology, are suppressed and their representation in arts falls under prosecutors’ inspection. If this present process is not stopped, any photo that is taken on the Uzbek streets can become pretext for legal pursuit.

By signing this appeal, we demand that the Uzbek government complies with the rules of the Republic and respects the right of the artist to free creativity. Umida Ahmedova did not take pictures of secret objects, did not defame governmental symbols and did not “slander” the Uzbek nation. Discussion of artworks should take place on pages of magazines and newspapers and not in the court hall.

We are also turning to the international community, heads of diplomatic missions and human rights organizations. The Uzbek Justice is making a dangerous turn, the consequences of which can be unpredictable. We must do everything possible so that it does not become worse!

Министерству иностранных дел Республики Узбекистан
Министерству внутренних дел Республики Узбекистан
Международным организациям по защите прав человека

Обращение

17 декабря 2009 года ряд информационных агентств сообщили о возбуждении уголовного дела против одного из самых известных фотографов Центральной Азии Умиды Ахмедовой. Согласно распространяемой информации, Умида Ахмедова обвиняется в «оскорблении и клевете на узбекский народ». Поводом для предъявленного обвинения послужил фотоальбом «Женщины и мужчины: от рассвета до заката», изданный в 2007 году при поддержке посольства Швейцарии.

Хотелось бы напомнить, что свобода самовыражения художника является одним из ключевых критериев правового государства. Право и возможность судить о произведении искусства, оценивать его или критиковать принадлежит экспертам и зрителям, а не карательной системе. С юридической точки зрения, искусство не может быть расценено как «документ» и потому не может являться агентом «клеветы».

Фотографии Умиды Ахмедовой обладают очевидной художественной ценностью и пользуются международным признанием. Многие международные эксперты полагают, что они являются центрально-азиатским культурным достоянием. Государству следует гордиться творчеством талантливого фото-художника, а не угрожать ему уголовным преследованием.

Образы, созданные Умидой Ахмедовой, не являются ни фантазией, ни тем более карикатурой. Они достоверно фиксируют те стороны жизни, с которыми ежедневно сталкивается каждый житель Узбекистана, каждый прохожий на улице, гость на свадебном ритуале или другом семейном празднике. Обвинить эту легкоузнаваемую фиксацию в «клевете» и «оскорблении» может лишь тот, кто знакомится с жизнью народа Узбекистана по сводкам официального телевидения и выхолощенным образам официального искусства.

Процесс, уготованный Умиде Ахмедовой, свидетельствует о важном переломе в сознании власти. От идеологического навязывания своих клише обществу она переходит к юридическому прессингу. Факты жизни, не соответствующие официальной идеологии, сегодня замалчиваются, а их воспроизведение в искусстве – подпадает под прокурорский надзор. Если данный процесс не будет остановлен, любой фотоснимок, сделанный на узбекской улице, сможет стать предлогом к судебному преследованию.

Подписываясь под данным обращением, мы требуем от узбекских властей соблюдать законы республики и уважать право художника на свободное творчество. Умида Ахмедова не фотографировала секретные объекты, не порочила государственные символы и, конечно, не «клеветала» на узбекский народ. Обсуждение художественных произведений должно протекать на страницах газет и журналов, а не в зале суда.

Мы также обращаемся к международному сообществу, главам дипломатических миссий и правозащитным организациям. Узбекская Фемида совершает опасный крен, последствия которого могут стать непредсказуемыми. Мы должны сделать все возможное, чтобы не допустить худшего!

Bactria Cultural Center in Dushanbe

Источник: www.bactria.net

Police have said Kyrgyz journalist Gennady Pavlyuk’s hands and feet were bound when he was found unconscious after apparently being thrown from the window of a sixth-floor apartment, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reports.

Almaty City Interior Ministry spokesman Yevgeny Lysenko told RFE/RL that Pavlyuk was found in very grave condition on December 16 and he had masking tape around his hands and feet.

He is currently in a coma in an Almaty hospital under armed guard. Doctors have said his condition is very grave.

Lysenko said Pavlyuk arrived to Almaty from Bishkek on December 16 and was staying at the Kazakhstan Hotel.

Omurbek Tekebaev, the leader of the Kyrgyz opposition Ata-Meken (Fatherland) party, told RFE/RL that Pavlyuk was in the party’s offices in Bishkek to discuss details of a joint media project before leaving for Almaty.

Pavlyuk is a prominent Kyrgyz journalist of Russian origin. He used to work for the «Vecherny Bishkek» («Evening Bishkek») newspaper and Russia’s weekly «Argumenty i Fakty.»

He is also the founder of the «White Steamer» newspaper and website.

Pavlyuk is the third ethnic Russian journalist from Kyrgyzstan to have been attacked or seriously injured in the past two weeks.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Kazakh_Police_Say_Kyrgyz_Journalist_Thrown_From_Building_/1909727.html

A prominent Uzbek photographer/videographer has been charged with defamation and damaging the country’s image because of the content of her photos and videos, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reports.

Umida Ahmedova, 54, took a series of photos and video at obscure Uzbek villages that she used for two documentaries in a project sponsored by the Swiss Embassy in Tashkent.

Ahmedova told RFE/RL that Uzbek officials disapprove of her photos used in the documentaries «The Burden Of Virginity» and «Customs Of Men And Women,» which focus on poverty and gender inequality in Uzbekistan.

Ahmedova, who has contributed photographs to RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service, said the charges against her were «groundless» and «absurd.»

Tashkent police investigator Nodir Ahmadjonov told RFE/RL that experts in the Prosecutor-General’s Office found her photos and videos to be defamatory and insulting.

The Uzbek Communication and Information Agency initiated the case against Ahmedova, who has been ordered not to leave Uzbekistan while an investigation is carried out.

If found guilty, Ahmedova could face a fine and be sentenced to up to two years in a labor camp or up to six months in prison.

Ahmadjonov added that Ahmedova could be released under an amnesty without being acquitted.

Ahmedova’s films were shown at the One World film festival in Prague in 2006, where they were popular with audiences.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Uzbek_Photographer_Charged_With_Defamation/1906455.html

Ferghana.Ru found out that the criminal cases on article 139 («slander») and 140 («insult») were filed against prominent Tashkent-based photographer and documentary film maker Umida Akhmedova in Uzbekistan. The maximum punishment assumes 2-3 year community works or 6 month arrest.

According to Umida Akhmedova, the Mirabad district regional department of internal affairs (RDIA) captain Nodir Akhmadzhanov informed her that criminal cases on slander and insult of Uzbek people were filed against her; the case was initiated by Uzbek Agency for press and information against the authors, cooperating with Swiss Embassy Gender Program in the production of books and movies. Akhmedova is incriminated in the production of «Women and men: from dawn till dusk» photo album, produced in 2007 under support of Swiss Embassy Gender Program. The album consists of 110 pictures, reflecting lifestyle in Uzbekistan.

The investigator explained Umida Akhmedova that the case against her was produced, based on conclusions of Tashkent public prosecutor’s office experts, noting that the album «is the insult and slander of Uzbek people». At the same time, it is absolutely unclear which photo (not the photomontage, not the screen version) may be «slander» or «insult». It is also not clear who and when authorized Uzbek agency for press and information, the state structure, to represent the outraged honor of Uzbek people.

Umida Akhmedova shared first time she was called by police on November 17. Captain Nodir Akhmadzhanov invited her to Mirabad RDIA to give the report of witness on her «Women and men: from dawn to dusk» album. The investigator interviewed Umida for two hours and asked questions, related to Akhmedova’s participation in the production of photo album and as such movies as «Men and women: rites and ritual» and «The burden of virginity».

«He does not even know what the ethnography is – Umida Akhmedova told Ferghana.Ru – I said I did ethnography. He asked «What is that?» I said «In my work I am mainly interested in the ethnographic side of people’s lifestyle. I photograph ethnic rites, traditions and weddings. Where is the slander? The question remained without answer».

The next conversation with Captain Nodir Akhmadzhanov took place on December 16. The investigator said that since Umida was the author of the album, from now on she would be the suspect; he also advised her to find the lawyer.
Note. Umida Akhmedova was born in the town of Parkent, the Tashkent Oblast of Uzbekistan. In 1986 she graduated from photography department of All-Soviet State Institute of Cinematography (ASSIC) in Moscow, becoming first female cameraman in Uzbekistan. As a cameraman director she produced at least 10 movies. In the mid 1990s she turned to photography only.

In 2003-2005 Tbilisi hosted her personal exhibitions within the framework of Gender and Mass Media International Conference. In 2004 she won «Modern photography in Central Asia» grand prize at Inter-Press-Photo contest in Russia. In 2006 she organized personal photo exhibition in Copenhagen. Umida also worked on such documentaries as «Men and women: rites and rituals» and «The burden of virginity»; the latter produced ambiguous reaction and big scandal in Uzbekistan.

Fergana.ru

Источник: http://enews.ferghana.ru/article.php?id=2597

A reporter for the Russian BaltInfo news agency was beaten in Kyrgyzstan’s capital today, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reports.

Aleksandr Evgrafov told RFE/RL that two men in police uniforms forced him into a car that had no license plates and tried to search him.

When he resisted they beat him, he said.

Evgrafov said the men instructed him not to write «bad things» about Kyrgyzstan, adding that he should not try to «exonerate former Kyrgyz authorities.»

Evgrafov said the attack is connected to his journalistic activities.

On December 9, unknown assailants attacked and beat Aleksandr Knyazev, the director of the Bishkek branch of the Commonwealth of Independent States Institute.

Knyazev has often criticized the foreign policy of the Kyrgyz government.

The same day, former Kyrgyz Security Council Secretary Bolot Januzakov was also beaten and hospitalized.

Januzakov was a close associate of former Kyrgyz President Askar Akaev, who fled the country in 2005 and currently lives in Moscow.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Russian_Journalist_Beaten_In_Kyrgyzstan/1906005.html