In November 2010 the NANSMIT Monitoring Service received 15 reports. Nine 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 three report describes 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

4 November
Farazh weekly, Dushanbe

The newspaper Farazh has experienced difficulties with the state-owned printing facilities. The last time, it was published with the help of another periodical – Facts & Arguments; the latter provided Farazh with its own printing space, i.e. both newspapers united into one. The issue was published on 8 pages of the A2 format; the number of copies is 5 thousand.

30 November
The Committee “29 September”, Dushanbe

On 30 November, a media coalition called the 29 September Committee held a meeting to discuss the current situation in the Tajik media and to propose new actions in order to reinstate legality and justice within the media environment.

Participants noted that the situation has aggravated in the last few weeks, and the non-government media keep experiencing serious problems in their professional activities.

In particular, the weeklies Farazh and Paykon could not get access to printing facilities in November, after which they had to use primitive and expensive printing technologies. Access to several news web sites is blocked, which entailed financial losses among the owners of these web resources.

The Committee developed a number of measures, including a piquet in the capital, certain legal actions against organizers of the media pressing and other measures to attract international attention to the situation, in which the government violates the Constitution and the legal act Tajikistan committed to.

2. Journalists protecting their civil and professional rights

4 November
All media, Khorog, GBAO

A two-day seminar was held in the city of Khorog, the administrative center of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous province (GBAO). The seminar on the topic “The Internet and new media in protection of human rights” was supported by the British Institute for War and peace Reporting (IWPR), the Eurasia Foundation and the Tajik government, under financial assistance of the European Commission and the Norwegian foreign ministry. The seminar was held within the framework of the project “Human rights and education through the media in Central Asia”.

10 November
All media, Dushanbe

The project “Blogging as a tool for expanding the information space” successfully finished in Dushanbe on 10 November. The project was funded by a Canadian aid agency and was implemented by the Center of Information-Communication Technologies and the Aurora Association of adolescents.

During a tree-week training, 15 media professionals from different regions of Tajikistan gained knowledge and skills in the area of modern information technologies and transmission of information. The main outcome of the project is the creation of 15 personal blogs, which are available at: www.ngoyonc.org.

12 November
All media, Khorog, GBAO

A seminar for radio journalists was held in the city of Khorog, the administrative center of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous province. The topic of the seminar is “International standards of radio journalism and production of analytical radio projects”. The seminar was organized by the British Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR).

Shakhodat Saibnazarova, project coordinator told NANSMIT that the main purpose of the seminar is to provide young radio journalists with new methodologies of radio production, enhancement of their skills and knowledge about analytical radio journalism.

II. VIOLATIONS OF RIGHTS IN THE MEDIA

1. Freedom of information

4 November
Muattar, the printing facility of the Party of Islamic Renaissance, Dushanbe

According to the Asia Plus weekly (#54, 03.11.2010), the printing house Muattar belonging to Tajikistan’s Islamic Renaissance Party had to deny access to its facilities in order to avoid potential pressure from the authorities.

Deputy chairman of PIRT Makhmadali Khait said that at present, the printing facility produces only the weekly Najot and the magazine Safinai Umed.

Khait said that the printing house provided its services to the private weekly Paikon, but later, had to deny further access for other newspapers in fear of government’s reprisals.

Chairman of PIRT Mukhiddin Kabiri at a recent meeting with the US ambassador in Dushanbe Kenneth Gross said that his party sent an official letter to the Tajik foreign ministry expressing concern about the necessity of performing the commitments, which Tajikistan has to OSCE; however, PIRT has received no response from the MFA.

4 November
U.S. Representative to the OSCE in Vienna

On November 4, the U.S. Representative to the OSCE delivered a statement to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna expressing a serious concern over the recent developments in Tajikistan that appear to limit media access and media freedom while increasing pressure on independent media.

“We share the concerns expressed by the Delegation of Belgium on behalf of the European Union on October 28, and by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Ms. Dunja Mijatovic. In her statement on October 18, Ms. Mijatovic called upon Tajik officials to recognize the importance of maintaining media pluralism and to reverse the ongoing deterioration of the media freedom situation in Tajikistan”, — he said.

In response, the Delegation of Tajikistan stated that «Tajikistan does not have an official policy on Internet filtering» and that publication of newspapers had been suspended due to «technical problems.» It appears, however, that the government of Tajikistan in fact ordered internet service providers to block five websites and ordered publishing houses to cease publication of three independent newspapers.

We note that in mid-October the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications sent a letter to several internet service providers ordering them to block four of these websites in order to «protect the information security of the nation.» There are credible reports that government officials ordered printing houses to stop printing the three newspapers because they published material perceived to be critical of government officials.

We take strong exception to the October 4 statement by the Minister of Defense, General Sherali Khairulloev, that journalists who reported on the government’s response to the security situation in the Rasht Valley were providing cover for terrorists and committing a serious crime.

Lawsuits brought against independent newspapers Asia Plus, Farazh, Ozodagon, Paykon, and Millat remain active. As the Representative on the Freedom of the Media warns, if court decisions to award disproportionate damages in libel lawsuits brought on by public officials are not reconsidered by the higher courts, these publications could face closure.

These tactics, along with launching tax or prosecutorial inspections by authorities against journalists and printers is no less than what Ms. Mijatovic calls it: a case of serious non-compliance with Tajikistan’s OSCE media freedom commitments and we call upon the government of Tajikistan to reverse this course at once. Specifically, we call on the Tajik authorities to stop pressuring printing houses and newspapers, cease blockage of independent websites, and stop using tax authorities to harass independent news outlets.

III. CONFLICTS. VIOLATIONS INCRIMINATED TO MEDIA AND JOURNALISTS

1. Protection of honor, dignity and business reputation

11 November
Asia Plus weekly, Dushanbe

The Firdavsi district court in Dushanbe dismissed the claim of Ms. S. Safarova against the Tajik private weekly Asia Plus.

Safarova’s claim was based on an article published in Asia Plus (#30, 30.09.09) about the crimes in the Tajik capital mentioning the name of her son.

Correspondents Mirzobekova and Gufronov wrote in their articles about assaults on currency exchange offices in 2009 in Dushanbe. Referring to the Interior Ministry’s press center, Asia Plus reported that the Tajik law enforcement agencies arrested an organized crime group headed by Shavkat Safarov. It was indicated in the article that Safarov was sentenced to life in prison.

In her claim, Safarova (the mother of the convict) stated that her son received a 25-year term, and after the publication she had health problems. She demanded a moral compensation of 12 thousand Somoni (about $2.700).

Marat Mamadshoev, editor of Asia Plus explained that the mistake was made by the Interior Ministry, and Asia Plus did not have any fraudulent intent. Besides that, the newspaper published an explanation rectifying the mistake.

30 November
Millat, private newspaper, Dushanbe

The court hearing on the lawsuit of the Tajik Ministry of Agriculture against the private weekly Millat will be held on 1 December 2010.

The first hearing took place on 25 February 2010. The Ministry applied to the court after a publication titled “The Ministry of Agriculture is the most corrupt government agency”.

The Ministry stated that the newspaper published a defaming article and demands moral compensation in the amount of 1 million Somoni (about $230 thousand).

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

DUSHANBE — Tajikistan’s only daily newspaper, «Imruz News» (News Today), has suspended publication less than three months after it was launched, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reports.

Rustam Joni, who is one of the paper’s founders and CEO of the Oriem-Media group, said staff had been told to take a vacation until November 29 while the paper’s prospects and future funding were assessed.

Joni said the primary reason for suspending publication was financial, and political factors did not play a role.

But some experts have noted that the paper was aggressive in its reporting on the military counterterror operation in the Rasht Valley and on Tajikistan’s only toll road, which is believed to be controlled by people close to President Emomali Rahmon.

The first edition of «Imruz News» was published on August 30.

Media experts doubt the paper is struggling financially, as its editors claim to have secured a loan from Tajikistan’s Orienbank, which is controlled by influential tycoon Hasan Asadullozoda, the president’s brother-in-law.

The choice of Rajabi Mirzo as editor in chief of the new daily was a pleasant surprise for many newspaper readers in Tajikistan. Mirzo has a reputation as an experienced journalist and is an outspoken critic of the government and the president.

Tajikistan’s postal service lacks funds, transport, and personnel, so it often takes weeks for letters and publications to reach their destination.

As a result, newspapers have become a thing of the past for many Tajik villagers, while city dwellers increasingly turn to the Internet for news.

http://www.rferl.org/content/tajik_daily_suspended/2229779.html

DUSHANBE — Two Tajik newspapers that have been unable to print for several weeks reappeared on newstands on November 17, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reports.
Khurshed Atovulloh, the chief editor of the independent weekly «Farazh,» said that a private printing house agreed to publish the newspaper. He said there is a good possibility of signing a contract for continued cooperation.

Another independent weekly, «Nigoh,» was printed by a state-owned printer this week as it had previously been before unexpected printing problems the newspaper began experienicing some six weeks ago.

Saymuddin Dustov, the owner of «Nigoh,» said that for the past 1 1/2 months it has been unable to publish due to alleged financial problems. He said if his newspaper will be able to publish it can resolve any financial problems.

The independent newspaper «Paikon» still has been unable to find a printing house that will publish it.

At the end of October, the U.S., British, German, and French ambassadors as well as the head of an EU delegation voiced their concern to the Tajik Foreign Ministry over the state of media freedom in Tajikistan.

They noted that the newspapers «Farazh,» «Paikon,» and «Nigoh» were effectively shut down after being deprived of all printing possibilities — allegedly on the order of government officials.

The ambassadors also noted that libel cases against Asia Plus, «Farazh,» «Ozodagon,» «Paikon,» and «Millat» for publishing articles critical of the government remain open, and they called for a swift settlement of those cases.

The diplomats called on the government to live up to its Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) commitments to guarantee freedom of the press and information.

Specifically, they said the government should not interfere in the printing of newspapers and should allow unhindered access to all Internet sites.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Banned_Tajik_Independent_Weeklies_Resume_Publication_/2224458.html

Dushanbe, Tajikistan, November 18, 2010 — The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Community Connections program seeks applicants for a three-week, home stay-based professional exchange to the United States for Tajik broadcast journalists. This program will include practical training on programming socially important issues, fundraising and funding mechanisms for separate socially oriented broadcasting programs, advertising and media sales, and outsourcing service networks within the U.S. broadcasting industry. The professional group will travel to the United States in early March 2011.

To be considered, the completed application form must be submitted no later than December 17, 2010. Applications will be accepted from managers and editors of local independent TV and radio stations with over three years of experience in broadcasting of Tajikistan. Only registered privately owned radio and TV stations in Dushanbe and in districts and towns of Sughd Region are eligible for the program. Privately owned production studios or state owned TV and radio stations and their branches in regions are not eligible for the program.

Candidates will be identified through a regional, open competition. All candidates should have leadership potential in their sector and live and work in Tajikistan. Candidates should be able to demonstrate their commitment to improving programming content of independent broadcast stations in Tajikistan. English language is not required for this program.

How to Apply

Application forms can be received from our official website www.cc-car.org or requested by e-mail from Aziza Ernazarova at ccassist@americancouncils-tj.org. Also, applications can be obtained from the following addresses:

In Dushanbe:

American Councils

86 Tolstoy Str.

(37) 221 2103/221 1795, Consultation hours: Monday – Friday from 09:00 to 17:00

In Khujand:

Khujand Educational Centre

183 a Lenin Str.

(44) 6301013/6301011

Information meeting will be held from 11.00 to 15.00 on December 2, 2010. For further consultations, please contact Dushanbe office.

The Community Connections Program is one of the many assistance projects implemented in Tajikistan by the United States Agency for International Development on behalf of the American people. It provides an important opportunity for Americans and people from Tajikistan to work together to address common professional challenges while expanding their social and cultural understanding. As business and professional communities of both countries become more integrated, opportunities for positive relations between the American people and the people of Tajikistan are increasingly important.

http://dushanbe.usembassy.gov/

It must be a tradition left from the Soviet-era that Tajiks still love reading newspapers.

People buy newspapers from kiosks as well as from vendors who sell random newspapers and magazines on the street.

The choice of newspapers, however, is getting smaller and smaller. Three independent publications «Faraj,» «Paikon,» and «Nigoh» were closed down by authorities last month.

They remain shut despite pleas and protests by local media groups, international organizations, and the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe.

Fearing a similar fate, other publications have reduced themselves to reporting on harmless topics.

The country’s television and radio stations also largely avoid politics, or any topic that could anger authorities. Media criticism of the country’s president in any shape or form is simply out of the question.

While the ongoing military operation in Tajikistan’s eastern Rasht Valley has been widely discussed in regional media, for the most part, Tajik television and publications avoid discussing it.

«If it wasn’t for Russian-language media, I wouldn’t even hear that something had happened in Rasht or Isfara,» says Nurullo Nurulloev, a resident of the northern city of Khujand.

«From Tajik television and media, I can tell you what’s going on in Haiti or Chili, but they don’t mention what’s really happening at home.»

It seems only state newspapers and tabloids can survive in Tajikistan’s political climate.

Farangis Najibullah RFE/RL

Источник: http://www.rferl.org/content/Tajik_Diary_What_Not_to_Cover/2222682.html

The web site of the Avesta news agency – www.avesta.tj – is fully unblocked on the territory of Tajikistan. The first report about the free access to the web site appeared in the Facebook network http://facebook.com/avestatj, on 12 November. It was mentioned that the access is possible via the Babylon-T, Telecom Technology, Tarena, and later, on 13 November, via the state-owned provider Tojiktelecom.
Since 29 September 2010, access to two Tajik web sites – Avesta.Tj and Tojnews.Tj – were blocked, as well as to three foreign web resources – Tjknews.com, Centrasia.Ru and Ferghana.Ru. Later, there appeared reports in the media telling about an official directive about blocking of three foreign web sites. Allegedly, that decision was made by the National Security Council, following a suggestion from Sherali Khairullaev, the Minister of Defense who complained to the President about the media hampering the anti-terrorist operation in Rasht valley.

The blocking of the web sites is seen as an element of a wide-scale anti-media campaign conducted by the authorities. This campaign also includes unscheduled auditing of printing houses by tax police and other inspections. The whole chronology of the government’s pressing was published on 13 November in the blog of The 29 September Committee, a newly created coalition of Tajik media, human rights and legal organizations who joined their efforts to counter the government’s repressive actions and restore the freedoms of speech and expression. Detailed information is published here: tjk29.livejournal.com.

www.avesta.tj

Tashkent city court has upheld a conviction for slander against a reporter for the U.S.-funded radio station Voice of America (VOA), RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reports.

Abdumalik Boboev, a freelancer for VOA’s Uzbek Service, was found guilty last month of slander and distributing materials that pose a threat to public order. He was fined the equivalent of about $10,000.

«During today’s hearing I stressed again that I did nothing wrong,» Boboev told RFE/RL. «As a journalist I wrote critical articles and those articles never insulted, slandered, or posed a threat to public security. But they did not take this into consideration and left the previous decision of the court unchanged.»

Earlier this week Robert Blake, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, met with Boboev during a visit to Uzbekistan.

In a statement on November 12 following the court decision, the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent said it remained concerned about the state of media freedom in Uzbekistan.

«Using the criminal justice system to punish journalists for freely expressed views is contrary to Uzbekistan’s constitution and international obligations, and has a chilling effect on journalists throughout the country,» the statement said.

Boboev, 41, was among several journalists summoned by the Prosecutor-General’s Office last year for questioning about alleged «unaccredited» journalistic activities.

http://www.rferl.org/content/VOA_Freelancer_In_Uzbekistan_Loses_Appeal_/2218468.html

DUSHANBE — The Tajik-language political weekly «Farazh» has been published after a three-week hiatus as a joint publication with the Russian-language weekly «Fakty i kommentarii,» RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reports.

«Fakty i kommentarii» devoted eight pages of its November 4 edition, which appeared in a print-run of 4,000, to the latest edition of «Farazh.»

«Farazh» and two other independent weeklies, «Paikon» and «Nigoh,» were effectively closed down in early October after being deprived of access to printing houses, reportedly on orders from government officials displeased by their allegedly «aggressive» coverage of military operations in the eastern Rasht Valley.

«Paikon» chief editor Jumaboy Tolibov told RFE/RL his newspaper is not looking for such an alternative like the one used by «Farazh,» but will wait for a permanent solution.

«Nigoh» chief editor Saymudin Dustov said some 240 journalists have signed a petition asking President Emomali Rahmon to intervene and allow newspapers to resume normal publication.

Last week, the U.S., British, French, and German ambassadors and the Head of European Union delegation expressed their concern to the Tajik Foreign Ministry about the current state of media freedom in Tajikistan. Ministry spokesman Davlat Nazriev told RFE/RL on November 4 that the government did not issue a ban on printing newspapers.

Union of Journalists of Tajikistan head Akbar Sattor told RFE/RL that one newspaper cannot permanently be the «guest» of another, and «Farazh» should continue to look for a permanent solution to its problems.

Another Tajik media expert, Mukhtor Boqizoda, stressed that while «Fakty i kommentarii» showed commendable journalistic solidarity by hosting another newspaper, it cannot do so on a permanent basis as each newspaper has its own readership.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Independent_Tajik_Papers_Seek_To_Circumvent_Printing_Ban_/2212471.html

On November 4, the U.S. Representative to the OSCE delivered the following statement to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, Austria:

Thank you Mr. Chairman.

The United States notes with serious concern recent developments in Tajikistan that appear to limit media access and media freedom while increasing pressure on independent media.

We share the concerns expressed by the Delegation of Belgium on behalf of the European Union on October 28, and by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Ms. Dunja Mijatovic. In her statement on October 18, Ms. Mijatovic called upon Tajik officials to recognize the importance of maintaining media pluralism and to reverse the ongoing deterioration of the media freedom situation in Tajikistan.

In response, the Delegation of Tajikistan stated that «Tajikistan does not have an official policy on Internet filtering» and that publication of newspapers had been suspended due to «technical problems.» It appears, however, that the government of Tajikistan in fact ordered internet service providers to block five websites and ordered publishing houses to cease publication of three independent newspapers.

We note that in mid-October the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications sent a letter to several internet service providers ordering them to block four of these websites in order to «protect the information security of the nation.» There are credible reports that government officials ordered printing houses to stop printing the three newspapers because they published material perceived to be critical of government officials.

We take strong exception to the October 4 statement by the Minister of Defense, General Sherali Khairulloev, that journalists who reported on the government’s response to the security situation in the Rasht Valley were providing cover for terrorists and committing a serious crime.

Lawsuits brought against independent newspapers Asia Plus, Farazh, Ozodagon, Paykon, and Millat remain active. As the Representative on the Freedom of the Media warns, if court decisions to award disproportionate damages in libel lawsuits brought on by public officials are not reconsidered by the higher courts, these publications could face closure.

These tactics, along with launching tax or prosecutorial inspections by authorities against journalists and printers is no less than what Ms. Mijatovic calls it: a case of serious non-compliance with Tajikistan’s OSCE media freedom commitments and we call upon the government of Tajikistan to reverse this course at once. Specifically, we call on the Tajik authorities to stop pressuring printing houses and newspapers, cease blockage of independent websites, and stop using tax authorities to harass independent news outlets.

Thank you Mister Chairman.

http://dushanbe.usembassy.gov/