3 May 2011

When governments repress their people and shield themselves from scrutiny, press freedom is among the most powerful vehicles for exposing misdeeds and upholding public trust.

When people face discrimination and marginalization, access to media can give them voice and create a shared awareness of their plight.

And in an era of pressing global challenges, the free exchange of information and ideas through the media can connect people and countries in networks of common cause.

World Press Freedom Day has its roots in the African journalists who, in the wake of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the crumbling of media restrictions in Eastern Europe, sought similar advances on their continent. They worked with UNESCO to organize the 1991 seminar in Namibia that produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration on free and independent media, which in turn inspired the UN General Assembly two years later to proclaim this observance.

Today it is the peoples of North Africa and the Middle East mobilizing for their democratic rights and freedoms — and doing so with a heavy and creative reliance on the Internet and social media to help spur change in their societies.

The theme of this year’s observance, “New Frontiers, New Barriers,” highlights this dramatically changed global media landscape. New media and tools such as cell phones continue to empower individuals, enrich news-gathering and illuminate once-largely-hidden workings of government, business and industry.

Yet alongside these benefits stand old challenges such as the use of media to disseminate hatred and incite violence. There are also undeniable new barriers being imposed by States, including cyber-surveillance, digital harassment and censorship on the Internet. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least six journalists who worked primarily online were killed in 2010. And in 2008, for the first time, more “online reporters,” were in jail than those working in traditional media.

On World Press Freedom Day, let us remember the journalists, editors and other media professionals who have been killed for their reporting. And let us honour their memory by pursuing justice. The impunity that often follows such murders suggests a disturbing lack of official concern for the protection of journalists, and outright contempt for the vital role they play. Many other journalists languish in jail simply for doing their jobs.

On this Day, as we mark the 20th anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration, let us also pledge to bridge the digital divide, so that all people can benefit from access to and use of new media and communication technologies.

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims the right of all people to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”. Let us reaffirm our commitment to this bedrock principle of democracy, development and peace.

In April 2011 the NANSMIT Monitoring Service received 24 reports. Eleven of them describe the factual situation in the media in the light of socio-legal and political environment; nine reports describe direct violations of rights of media professionals; and four reports describe conflicts and accusations against the media and journalists.

I. 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

April 7
Sitora Sherova, deputy chair of Khatlon province

Speaking at a media briefing on 7 April, deputy head of the Khatlon province administration Sitora Sherova said that the authorities decided to arrange monthly meetings with journalists. The administration plans to enhance access to information for the media to tackle social and economic problems more effectively.

April 20
Emomali Rakhmon, President of Tajikistan

“The mass media are seen in the society as an efficient tool and a means for new thinking. They play an important role in the process of democratization and development”, — said the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rakhmon in his annual message to the parliament.

The president indicated the growth in the number of media in recent years. “In 1991, there were 131 printing outlets, and only 4 of them were private. There was only one state information agency. At present, there are 404 newspapers and magazines, out of which 160 are state-owned and 250 – private. Out of the eight registered news agencies, seven are private, i.e. non-governmental. This is a positive phenomenon in the process of creation and development of the civil society. At present, there are 44 TV and radio channels, out of which 28 broadcasting media are private”, — said the president.

April 29
Emomali Rakhmon, President of Tajikistan

Speaking at the session of the Tajik Public Council, the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rakhmon expressed concern about the global media which “constantly write about somebody’s weddings forgetting about the problems requiring a close attention of journalists and the public”.

“Some journalists do not notice the problems of climate change on the Planet, neither do they see the tragedy in Japan, the drought, the growing food and oil prices; they publish reports about weddings of princes and princesses on the front pages of their outlets”, — he said.

2. Factual situation in the media

April 11
Reporters Without Borders

Reporters Without Borders denounced as “illegal and absurd” the efforts of the Tajik government to get dissident journalist Dodojon Atovulloev forcefully returned to Tajikistan from his exile in Russia and Germany and called on these two governments to protect him.
The state prosecutor in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, sent an extradition request to the Russian authorities today for the journalist and opposition leader, who is a political refugee in Germany (living in Hamburg) and currently in Moscow.
“The request is absurd,” the worldwide press freedom organisation said. “Since he obtained political asylum in Germany in 2002, Tajikistan and Russia cannot legally touch him. We hope the Russian authorities, in accordance with international law and as they have done before, will reject the request.”
“A political refugee can under no circumstances be sent back to his country of origin and the Tajik request for this to be done, in violation of basic international law, is very worrying,” it said.
Atovulloev is founder and editor of the opposition monthly Charogi Ruz (Daylight), the first privately-owned publication set up after independence in 1991 and a strong critic of the regime. He was forced to flee abroad in 2001 after getting death threats and being accused of insulting the president and supposedly “inciting national, racial and religious hatred.” The newspaper is now based in Moscow after its Dushanbe offices were ransacked.
Family members in Tajikistan were imprisoned for several weeks and death threats to Atovulloev continued. He was arrested at Moscow airport in July 2001 and only an energetic campaign by human rights groups prevented him from being sent back to Dushanbe.
The charges against him were initially dropped, but the newspaper continued its criticism and Atovulloev set up an opposition party, ’Vatandor’, in 2007. New charges of insulting the president and “public appeals for violent overthrow of the constitutional order” were laid against him in 2008 and are the basis of the extradition request announced by prosecutor-general Sherhon Salimzoda today.
Press freedom shrank in Tajikistan last year and the authorities are now very keen to silence Atovulloev, who Salimzoda’s predecessor, Bobojon Bobohonov, called a “news terrorist” in 2008. While media outlets mentioning armed clashes in the country’s Rasht Valley last September were clamped down on, Atovulloev called the incidents “a return to civil war.”

April 11
The US Department of State

The US Department of State has published its annual report on human rights in the world where Tajikistan is reckoned among authoritarian states.

According to Radio Liberty, the authors of the report stress that the President Emomali Rakhmon and his adherents (natives of the same region) dominate in the political life of the country.

The authors indicate numerous cases of limitation of the freedom of speech and the freedom of religion, as well as corruption in all spheres, which impedes economic and social transformation and development.

The report also indicates accusations by the Tajik Minister of Defense Sherali Khairullaev against the media. The Minister accused journalists of aiding terrorist during the military operation in Rasht last autumn.

Besides that, the report indicates the judicial pressure of the Tajik authorities against the media.

3. Amendments to the legislation and new draft laws aggravating the media environment

April 6
Najot weekly, Party of Islamic Renaissance, Dushanbe

Certain Tajik journalists and media experts consider that the new media draft law does not have any essential amendments. The Najot weekly, the printing body of the Tajik Party of Islamic Renaissance (PIRT) (#14, 06.04.2011) applied to media experts with a question: “Will the new media law ensure freedom of speech and independence of the media?”

Professor of the Tajik National University Jovid Mukim says that the new draft law is a copy of the existing law with “reshuffled articles and provisions”. “Certain articles have double meaning”, — he added.

Nuriddin Karshibaev, chairman of NANSMIT said that the draft law has been under discussion for more than a year; the law-makers have considered recommendations from the media community and legal experts.

4. Journalists protecting their civil and professional rights

April 5
All media, Dushanbe

On 5-6 April, the Union of Tajik Journalists held a seminar on the issues of legal linguistic expertise “Judicial regulation of linguistic conflicts in the media”.

The purpose of the seminar is to ensure social protection of journalists and editing boards, development of the legal basis for media activities, strengthening of creative contacts between journalists and linguistic experts regarding legal actions on protection of honor and dignity.

April 5
All media, Kurgan-Tube, Khatlon province

On 5 April, the Tajik National Association of Independent Mass Media (NANSMIT) held a training session in the city of Kurgan-Tube, Khatlon province on the topic “Legal and ethical bases for media activities in Tajikistan”. The session was held within the framework of the legal project supported by “Internews Network” and the US Agency for International Development.

According to the chairman of NANSMIT Nuriddin Karshibaev, 22 participants – media professionals and experts – developed recommendations regarding the legal and ethical standards in the media.

The training session in Khatlon was continued by another three-day seminar “Quality of media products” supported by the US organization National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The main purpose of the seminar was improvement of analytical and research skills of media professionals.

Similar seminars were organized in the cities of Khujand and Kulyab, on 13 April and 20-22 April respectively.

April 11
The Tajik Media Council, Dushanbe

On 11 April, the director of the private TV company SMT Zinatulloh Ismoilion was elected the chairman of the Tajik Media Council.

The chairman of NASMIT Nuriddin Karshibaev was elected the deputy chairman of the Council on the issues of freedom of media in Tajikistan.

II. VIOLATION OF PROFESSIONAL RIGHTS

1. Accusations of libel and insult

April 27
Charkhi Gardun, private newspaper, Dushanbe

The Firdausi district court in Dushanbe adjourned the final verdict against the Charkhi Gardun weekly.

The lawsuit against Charkhi Gardun was initiated by Saivali Nurov, former member of the Tajik parliament from Khatlon province. Nurov complained that a publication in the newspaper (27 July 2010) contained slanderous accusations against him and demanded to bring Charkhi Gardun to responsibility on Articles 135 and 136 of the Tajik Criminal Code (Libel and Insult accordingly).

2. Violation of the principle of transparency of legal proceedings

April 7
Galina Dzutseva, the Vetchorka weekly, Dushanbe

On 7 April 2011, the correspondent of the newspaper Vetchorka Galina Dzutseva was rudely pushed out from the premises of the Economic Court in Dushanbe.

Galina Dzutseva was in the court on the errand of her editor.

3. Ungrounded limitation of access to information

April 6
Saidali Dustmatov, Khatlon province radio

On 6 April 2011, the correspondent of the Khatlon province radio Saidali Dustmatov approached the chair of the Women and Family Affairs Committee Kurbongul Pirkhonova to require information about the number of divorced women in the region.

The public official refused to provide such information until the journalists brings a special request from the Khatlon broadcasting authorities.

April 11
All media, Kulyab, Khatlon province

Referring to “orders from above”, branches of big Tajik banks refuse to provide journalists with information on remittances from Tajik labor migrants.

The journalist Turko Dikaev based in Khatlon told the NANSMIT monitoring service that the authorities do not care about the ethical side of the issue, i.e. “it is indecent to count somebody’s money”… In his opinion, the local authorities are concerned about the negative political image of the central government unable to counter the problems of unemployment.

“Upon the background of growing prices, extreme poverty and unemployment, the millions of US dollars and Russian rubles from Tajik labor migrants reveal the helplessness of the government. Thus, they have chosen the simplest way – to ban the publication of these figures”, — Dikaev added.

April 29
Bek Zukhurov, Communications Service, Tajik government

The Communication Service under the Tajik government sent an official order to all mobile telephone companies, according to which the previously issued licenses on the use of radio-electronic means and network interconnection are invalid.

In the order issued on 27 April, the head of the Service Bek Zukhurov indicates that as of the 1 May, all external sources of communication used by commercial companies on the territory of the country must be switched off.

All types of international network interconnection are also banned, except for those through the state operator.

Bek Zukhurov explained that “this action is caused by the necessity of ensuring the state security in the country and proper regulation of radio frequencies”.

3. Illegal confiscation of property

April 20
Paykon, private newspaper, Dushanbe

On 20 April 2001, officers of the Firdausi district court in Dushanbe confiscated all equipment from the premises of the Paykon newspaper.

Journalists of the Paykon say that this action is illegal because the confiscated computers and other office equipment officially belong to the Bureau on Advisory Services and Linguistic Expertise.

In 2009, the Firdausi district court issued a verdict against Paykon imposing a fine in the amount 300 thousand Somoni (about $70 thousand). The lawsuit against Paykon was initiated by the Tajik State Standard Agency following a publication criticizing its activities impeding the development of entrepreneurship in Tajikistan.

III. CONFLICTS. VIOLATIONS INCRIMINATED TO THE MEDIA AND JOURNALISTS

1. Protection of honor, dignity and business reputation

April 19
Asia Plus, Ozodagon, Farazh, private newspapers, Dushanbe

The court litigation between judges of the Tajik Supreme Court and the three private newspapers has been settled amicably.

The court hearings started in January 2010 after the newspapers quoted the attorney Solekhjon Juraev who told the media about cases of corruption in the Supreme Court.

The judges claimed a moral compensation from the private newspapers in the amount of 5,5 million Somoni.

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

Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon clearly seems to be annoyed by the international media’s blanket coverage of the British royal wedding.

He suggested the global media should instead focus on more serious issues, such as the economic crisis and growing food prices.

Rahmon criticized journalists for covering «some wedding or other,» as if there were not enough problems in the world.

«Some journalists don’t notice the climate-change problems, the natural disaster in Japan, droughts, the growing price for oil and food, and instead they put reports from the weddings of princes and princesses on their front pages,» Rahmon said during a meeting with government officials in Dushanbe on April 29.
Rahmon also didn’t sound particularly impressed by the lavish wedding ceremony.

If anything like this happened in a former Soviet state, he said, «Everyone would immediately say this was a totalitarian regime.»

Rahmon has banned lavish weddings and other private functions in Tajikistan, setting a cap on the number of guests and the length of the ceremonies.

According to his instructions, you are not allowed to invite more than 150 guests, the wedding party cannot last for more than three hours, and the wedding convoy shouldn’t involve more than four cars.

So if you are planning a wedding on a shoestring budget, Tajikistan could be just the right place to have it.

— Farangis Najibullah

http://www.rferl.org/content/chaikhana_tajik_president_royal_wedding_totalitarianism/16798193.html

Deadline:31/12/1

Foundation of the Development of the Republic Abkhazia

Russian-language writers from Abkhazia, Russia, Ukraine, Republic of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are invited to the competition about Abkhazia.

The competition is aimed at finding talented authors, promoting them and helping them develop professionally.

The competition is supported by the Foundation of the Development of the Republic Abkhazia and Aydgylara, the Union of Abkhaz Youth in Russia.

For more information (in Russian), please, click here: http://www.abhazia-russia.ru/o-konkurse

http://www.abhazia-russia.ru/o-konkurse

The Public Affairs Section is launching an exciting new initiative.

You can take an online journalism course called World Youth News and become a journalist. The online course is self-paced and asynchronous. It’s a self-directed course designed by iEARN, NY Times, Columbia University School of Journalism to enable young people to gain the skills involved in being a journalist.

You are mentored by grad students from Columbia and NYU along the way. After you register, you can take the course on your own time. The reading materials are divided into five sections, and we recommend that you complete it within a week. Our American Corner Coordinators will provide computer time for you to complete the course, or you can do it at home.

The online interaction in the course provides opportunities to practice English with native speakers.

If you would like to take the course, please e-mail your name and e-mail address me: kobilovas@state.gov

This program will launch May 3, World Press Freedom Day!

Shafoat Kabilova

Grant Assistant / Alumni Coordinator

U.S. Embassy/Public Diplomacy Section

109 A, I.Somoni Ave., Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Dushanbe, Tajikistan

e-mail: KobilovaS@state.gov

tel: (992-372) 29 23 14

cell phone (98)580 70 67

http://dushanbe.usembassy.gov

To automatically receive information about our programs, send a blank e-mail message to usembassydushanbeprograms-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

To join the STATE ALUMNI global community, please visit «https://alumni.state.gov» and follow the «Join Now!» link. Interactive and password-protected, alumni.state.gov offers the more than1,000,000 alumni of U.S. government exchange programs a place to network, share information, participate in Q&A Live discussions with experts, and access resources such as grants, jobs, and research databases.

http://dushanbe.usembassy.gov

DUSHANBE — Equipment from the offices of the independent Tajik weekly «Paikon» has been confiscated in line with a court-imposed fine of 300,000 somonis ($67,153) for libeling state consumer-protection agency Tojikstandart, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reports.

«Paikon» correspondent Ahliddin Salimpour told RFE/RL that court bailiffs took two computers, a scanner, and a printer from the newspaper’s offices.

Tojikstandart brought the defamation suit after «Paikon» in 2009 published a statement from a group of businessmen who accused the product-safety watchdog of obstructing their activities.

In October 2009, Dushanbe’s Firdavsi district court ordered «Paikon» to pay 300,000 somonis in compensation to Tojikstandart.

Tajik lawyer Shuhrat Qudratov argued that the property confiscated by the court did not belong to «Paikon» but to the Bureau of Linguistic Expertise, Legal Advice, and Journalistic Investigations which, like «Paikon,» belongs to journalist Jumaboy Tolibov.

Nuriddin Qarshiboev, chairman of the National Association of Independent Media, alleged that the court case against «Paikon» was aimed not at ensuring that justice prevailed but at «strik[ing] fear in the hearts» of journalists.

«Paikon» has a weekly print run of 2,000 copies. Its editors are hoping that other newspapers will agree to publish reports written by «Paikon» journalists in the event that it cannot continue publishing.

Such mutual assistance is becoming increasingly common among hard-pressed independent publications in Tajikistan facing official pressure.

http://www.rferl.org/content/independent_tajik_weekly_confiscation/9502332.html

DUSHANBE — Tajikistan’s Islamic Renaissance Party has withdrawn its candidate for a by-election because its representatives have not been included in constituency election commissions, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reports.

The May 15 by-election for Dushanbe’s Sino district is to fill a seat in the lower chamber of parliament that fell vacant last month when incumbent Shermahmad Shohiyon was appointed to head Tajikistan’s Central Electoral Commission.

Islamic Renaissance Party member Sayid Ibrohim Nazar was registered as a candidate on April 15.

At that time, the party asked the district election commission to include its representatives in lower-level commissions at individual polling stations.

Abdullo Habibov, head of the Sino district election commission, confirmed the receipt of the party’s request. He said the commission discussed it with legal advisers and did not find any obligation to comply.

Islamic Renaissance Party spokesman Hikmatullo Sayfullozoda told RFE/RL that the most important place during an election is the polling station, where all votes are counted and tabulated, and there’s no point in taking part if party representatives are unable to participate in that process at every single polling station.

Usmon Soleh, public-relations head for the ruling National Democratic Party of Tajikistan, said during the last elections, some parties did not even deploy monitors at polling stations. He asked rhetorically how those parties could demand representation on local election commissions.

The Majlisi Namoyandagon — the lower chamber of parliament — consists of 63 deputies elected for a five-year term. Twenty-two seats are divided among parties that gain more than 5 percent of the vote, and the remaining 41 deputies are elected from single-mandate constituencies.

http://www.rferl.org/content/tajik_islamic_party_withdraws_byelection/9502279.html

With social media there is no excuse for arriving in a country unprepared. Easy access to free tools means that any journalist, traveling to report or deliver training, can be brought up-to-date with the latest information.

By following the seven points listed below a journalist will:

•have the latest news about the country they are visiting
•make contact with some of the key news makers
•have their finger on the local news pulse
1: Research using social media

Set up search columns in Tweetdeck, Hootsuite or your preferred Twitter aggregator for the name of the country and the city or cities where you are going to be working, and at least two names of people in the news. Jot down the issues being discussed. Search using these key words or, if they are regularly used, set up a column for them in your Twitter aggregator. (If you are not set up on Twitter yet, please carry out step two in «How to become a global media brand in 60 minutes» before you start.) By the way, there are many more — please check the Social Media Kitbag for latest updates.

2: Curate your own respository of essential information

Perhaps consider curating a collection of tweets and associated links, videos and images using curation tools such as Scoop.it, Curated.by or PearlTrees; there are many others too. Curation is the way to gather a unique collection of material specific to the task you are undertaking. All the information will already be in the public domain, but the mix of content that you collect will be unique to your needs. What’s more, you can share that material and invite others to comment and contribute.

To read more, click here: http://www.mediahelpingmedia.org/training-resources/social-networking/617-social-media-checklist-for-international-journalists

http://ijnet.org/blog/social-media-checklist-international-journalists

KHATLON, Tajikistan, — The local authorities in a district in southern Tajikistan have closed its only Orthodox church, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reports.

Local official Dilbar Nurova said on April 20 that the church in the Jaloliddin Rumi district of Khatlon Province was closed because it was not officially registered.

She said the congregation had submitted a registration application, but it was rejected because of «some shortcomings.»

Nurova said that when the congregation submits a revised application, the church will be registered and they will be able to worship there. She noted that three local mosques have also been closed and must reregister.

Lyudmila Khojaeva, who heads the Union of Russian Speakers in Khatlon Province, said that closing the church just before Easter, one of the most important Christian festivals, is a blow to local Orthodox Christians. She said the authorities should have allowed more time to prepare the application for registration.

Russians are believed to account for 3-5 percent of Tajikistan’s population of 7.3 million people.

The registration of new places of worship and the registration of existing mosques and churches is mandatory under the controversial law on religion passed in 2009.

That law has served as the rationale for closing mosques and some churches. During the first three months of 2011, 229 mosques were closed in Khatlon Province alone.

http://www.rferl.org/content/sole_orthodox_church_in_southern_tajik_district_closed/9501426.html

The Embassy of the United States of America in Tajikistan is now accepting applications for the 2012-2013 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program.

The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program is for experienced professionals interested in strengthening their leadership skills through a mutual exchange of knowledge and understanding about issues of common concern in the U.S. and the Fellows’ home countries. As a non-degree program, the Fellowship offers valuable opportunities for professional development through selected university courses, attending conferences, networking, and practical work experiences. During the year, Fellows pursue their individual program goals while working closely with their Humphrey colleagues in workshops and seminars. Unlike a typical graduate school experience, the program encourages Fellows to travel away from their host campus to learn more about American culture and to network with their American peers.

Eligible fields:

• Agricultural and Rural Development

• Communications/Journalism

• Substance Abuse Education, Treatment, and Prevention:

• Economic Development/Finance and Banking

• Higher Education Administration

• Educational Administration, Planning and Policy

• HIV/AIDS Policy and Prevention

• Human Resource Management

• Law and Human Rights

• Natural Resources/Environmental Policy/Climate Change

• Public Health Policy and Management

• Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration

• Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Teacher-Training/Curriculum Development)

• Technology Policy and Management

• Trafficking in Persons Policy and Prevention

• Urban and Regional Planning

Appropriate candidates are mid-career professionals in leadership positions who have a commitment to public service and the potential for professional advancement. Prospective Fellows should have a minimum of five years of professional experience, and should have completed a university degree prior to August 2012. They should be interested in the policy aspects of their fields of specialization. Candidates must have completed a university degree program requiring at least four years of full-time study in order to qualify for participation in U.S. graduate study programs. Candidates should be proficient in both written and spoken English. Semifinalists will be required to take the Internet-based TOEFL.

Individuals who have attended a graduate school in the United States for one academic year or more during the seven years prior to August 2012, as well as individuals with other recent U.S. experience (more than six months during the five years prior to August 2012), are not eligible for this program.

To apply: Applicants must apply through the online application system. The online application is available at http://apply.embark.com/student/humphrey/fellowship/. More information is available at http://humphreyfellowship.org/.

Interested persons should submit completed applications online by 5 p.m. local time on June 30, 2011. Late applications will not be accepted. For additional information and a complete application package, please contact Shafoat Kabilova via e-mail: KobilovaS@state.gov or telephone: 229-2312; 229-2000.

http://humphreyfellowship.org/