KHUJAND, Tajikistan — A court in Tajikistan’s northern city of Khujand has shut down a human rights group, saying it operated without a proper license.

Junaid Ibodov, a lawyer for the Amparo group, told RFE/RL that the case was politically motivated.

Tajikistan’s Justice Ministry filed a lawsuit against Amparo, saying it failed to timely show its address change at the ministry.

Amparo was founded by about 30 young Tajik lawyers in 2005.

It monitors human rights violations, torture allegations, and the rights of Tajik Army soldiers.

It also helps local citizens to learn more about their rights through conferences and online discussions.

The association has often been cited by the UN Human Rights Commission.

Amparo leaders say they will appeal the court’s decision.

http://www.rferl.org/content/tajikistan-shuts-down-rights-group/24749874.html

ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Information has introduced a controversial «Code of Ethics for Journalists.»

It was announced on October 30 in Astana at a joint session of Kazakhstan’s Union of Journalists and the Club of Chief Editors.

The code is described as «an instrument of self-discipline for journalists, a moral and ethical standard for journalists that helps reporters and mass media earn society’s trust and respect.»

It was stressed at the code’s presentation that violations of the code will not lead to any sort of criminal prosecution.

But independent journalists and rights defenders in Kazakhstan condemned the new code, saying it is a new tool to control media outlets through self-censorship among journalists.

The ministry issued the code in accordance with recommendations by President Nursultan Nazarbaev.

http://www.rferl.org/content/kazakh-government-introduces-code-of-ethics-for-journalists/24755413.ht

Freedom of Speech in Tajikistan

October 2012

In October 2012, the Monitoring Service received 13 reports. Nine of them describe the factual situation in the media in the light of social, legal and political environment; two reports describe direct violations of rights of media professionals; and two 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

8 October

Emomali Rakhmon, President of Tajikistan, Dushanbe

Speaking at the National Language Day celebration on 5 October, the Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon harshly criticized the linguistic manner and style of many publications in the local printing media. Newspaper Samak (#41, 8 October 2012).

The newspaper conducted an opinion poll among experts about shortcomings in the media. The vast majority of interviewees support the President’s viewpoint, saying that publications often contain poorly verified facts; the language is also obscure; and very few analytical publications touch upon topical issues relevant for the country.

2. Amendments in the legislation affecting the media freedom 

1 October

All media, Dushanbe

On 1 October, deputies of the Tajik Parliament’s lower chamber adopted the draft of amendments and changes to the national criminal-procedural code. The new draft suggests exclusion of Articles “insult” and “libel”, i.e. these Articles will be decriminalized.

1 October

Rustam Mengliev, Minister of Justice, Dushanbe

The Tajik Minister of Justice Rustam Mengliev made comments for the media on the recent adoption of amendments to the national criminal-procedural code decriminalizing the Articles 135 and 136 (libel and insult respectively).

The decriminalization of these Articles was suggested by the Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon. From now on, cases referring to libel, insult or defamation will be considered in the context of the national civil code.

Punishment for libel, insult or defamation will be performed in the form of obligatory public refutation or financial penalties as moral compensation based upon a civil court verdict. Previously, the crimes on the “libel” Article could entail imprisonment up to five years, and “insult” – up to two years.

3. Actions of public officials defining the status of the media and the factual situation

1 October

Davlatali Nazriev, head of Information, Analysis and Foreign Policy Planning, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dushanbe

Davlatali Nazriev, the head of the Tajik Foreign Ministry’s Information Department told the media that the Tajik state agencies’ press services are going to create their own professional union.

The official added that the decision was made at a recent seminar “Interaction between state agencies’ press services and the media”. The seminar was conducted by the Tajik National Association of Independent Mass Media (NANSMIT) jointly with the Tajik Foreign Ministry’s Information, Analysis and Foreign Policy Planning Department. It was financially supported by the NGO International Media Support.

The initiative group comprising representatives of the Tajik Foreign Ministry, press services of the Ministries of Health and Education, the National Security Committee, the Women and Family Affairs Committee under the government will be in charge of organizational issues and convening the foundation conference.

The professional union of the state press services will be created with the purpose of exchanging experience, implementation of educational programs, developing communication and public relation strategies ensuring better access to all official sources of information.

4. Journalists protecting their professional and civil rights

2 October

All media, Dushanbe

Tajik media organizations have launched and educational and public awareness campaign “100 days for the freedom of TajNet” on Facebook. The action was initiated by NANSMIT, the Tajik Union of Journalists and the Media Alliance of Tajikistan.

According to organizers, the action will attract attention of the civil society and the government to the problems of the freedom of expression in the Internet.

The organizers issued a statement saying that democratic values and the rule of law are in jeopardy. The Internet is seen as a free information space; however, the recent limitations in the free expression and pluralism in the Tajik segment of the Internet – the so-called TajNet – raises serious concern in the society.

The organizers expressed hope that their constructive suggestions would help in resolving conflicts in the media environment.

10 October

IWPR, Dushanbe

The British Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) launched the second stage of trainings for media professionals in the area of journalistic investigations.

On 8-9 October, 14 young journalists from Dushanbe, Kulyab, Khorog and Khujand took part in a seminar to learn the methodologies of collecting and analyzing information and documents from web resources. Another aspect of the training was studying legislation for conducting investigations.

The first series of thematic trainings was held in June 2012.

The project “Laboratory for Journalistic Investigations” is implemented under financial support of the Open Society Institute in Tajikistan.

11 October

All media, Dushanbe

The Tajik Union of Journalists, NANSMIT, the National Media Council, and the Media Alliance of Tajikistan published a statement addressed to the Tajik Minister of Interior and the head of Tajikistan’s Traffic Police. The statement concerns the road accident on 9 October, which entailed hospitalization of Iskandar Firuz, the correspondent of the Persian Service of BBC.

13 October

All media, Khujand, Sughd province

On 13 October 2012, the Tajik National Association of Independent Media convened a meeting at a Journalists’ Club attended by media professionals and human rights activists.

Participants discussed opportunities for creating a trade union of media workers in Tajikistan.

The idea of setting up such an institution emerged long ago; however, some media professionals say that the trade union might duplicate the functions of the Tajik Union of Journalists.

31 October

All media, Dushanbe

The British Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) held a seminar in Dushanbe on the topic “Cooperation between the mass media and human rights watchdogs”.

Participants practiced to organize and conduct press conferences and interviews. Besides that, journalists and human rights activists exchanged information about recent amendments in Tajikistan’s legislation and methodologies enabling them to attract attention to their activities.

II. VIOLATIONS OF RIGHTS IN THE MEDIA 

1. Violation of legal procedures

3 October

TV Jahonoro, Gafurov, Sughd province

The Sughd province Prosecutor’s Office initiated administrative proceedings against the editor of the TV station Jahonoro Mohira Vokhidova. The editor is accused of spreading information about the fire at Korvon market in Dushanbe.

The director of TV Jahonoro Makhmudjon Dadoboev told NANSMIT that straight after broadcasting the information about the accident taken from the web site TojNews, he was called to the Sughd province branch of the National Security Committee.

Shortly afterwards, Dadoboev was called to the Prosecutor’s Office where he was asked to write a report. After a while, the director learned that the Prosecutor’s Office applied to the court complaining that “the TV station violated Article 373 of Tajikistan’s Administrative Code”.

Muhabbat Juraeva, the lawyer from the Sughd province Legal Support Center says that Article 373 of the Administrative Code concerns violations in dissemination of media products. “The actions of TV Jahonoro have no legal violations per se”, — she said. – “TojNews is a registered news resource, and dissemination of information taken from that web site cannot be ssen as something illegal”.

The Tajik broadcasting legislation says that information can be freely disseminated if the source is indicated (mentioned in broadcasting), and the broadcaster bears no responsibility whatsoever.

2. Violation of the freedom of information 

4 October

All media

The Tajik weekly Asia Plus published an article titled “Voluntary-compulsory subscription” (#74, 01.10.2012) revealing the growing administrative pressure on certain categories of subscribers. “Officials in a democratic country still cannot give up the legacy of the communist time”, — the article says.

In educational institutions, even in kindergartens, employees are forced to subscribe to particular newspapers and magazines.

The authors of the article describe “administrative tools”, which public servants apply to support the state-owned printing media.

III. CONFLICTS AND VIOLATIONS IN THE MEDIA

1. Demands on refutation

3 October

TV Jahonoro, Sughd province

Muhabbat Juraeva, the lawyer of the Sughd province Legal Support Center told the NANSMIT monitoring service that the Prosecutor’s Office initiated an administrative case against the editor of Jahonoro TV Mohira Vokhidova.

The administrative case is initiated in relation to a TV report about the fire at the Korvon market in Dushanbe.

The Sughd province Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the information about the alleged administrative violation. A source in the Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the case is passed to the court. The source refused to provide comments on the situation saying that this is a prerogative of the court.

On 30 October, the director of TV Jahonoro was dismissed from his position – allegedly, because his TV station disseminated the information taken from the Internet about the accident in Dushanbe.

Dodoboev said that the decision was taken by the founder of Jahonoro Mr. Ohunov. The lawyer Juraeva considers that the founder sees the incident as something that has had a negative impact on the TV station.

Women from Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, and Palestine have been awarded “Courage in Journalism” prizes at a ceremony in New York.

The four were honored on October 24 by the International Women’s Media Foundation, which describes itself as “dedicated to strengthening the role of women in the news media worldwide.”

RFE/RL Azerbaijani Service correspondent Khadija Ismayilova was honored for her continued reporting on corruption and malfeasance in Azerbaijan’s government, despite becoming the target of a smear campaign this year that sought to humiliate and silence her.

Also honored were imprisoned Ethiopian journalist Reeyot Alemu and Palestinian writer Asmaa al-Ghoul, who has faced militant threats and torture.

Veteran reporter Zubeida Mustafa, 70, was given a Lifetime Achievement honor for being the first woman to work in Pakistani mainstream media and for enacting policies in support of female journalists.

http://www.rferl.org/content/journalism-khadija-courage-prize-new-york-women/24750140.html

BISHKEK — Kyrgyz Deputy Interior Minister Melis Turganbaev tells RFE/RL that a new investigation has been launched into the high-profile murder of an independent ethnic Uzbek journalist.

Turganbaev did not elaborate, only saying that an investigation was under way.

Alisher Saipov was shot dead in the center of the southern city of Osh on October 24, 2007.

In 2010, the Osh City Court found a local citizen, Abdulgafar Rasulov, guilty of Saipov’s murder and sentenced him to 20 years in prison.

Saipov’s father, Avas Saipov, protested the sentence, saying that the real killers and those who plotted the murder were not punished.

Alisher Saipov wrote about Islamic groups and opposition politics in the region and reported on the 2005 massacre of protesters in the Uzbek city of Andijon.

http://www.rferl.org/content/kyrgyzstan-reopens-saipov-murder-case/24750471.html

Human Rights Watch (HRW) is criticizing the Tajik authorities for shutting down the Amparo rights group in Tajikistan’s northern city of Khujand.

A court there took the action on October 24, saying the group was operating without a proper license.

Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at HRW, issued a statement on October 25 calling the decision politically motivated.

He also called it «a transparent attempt to silence voices working on critically important issues such as torture and the rights of military recruits and a major step backward for human rights in Tajikistan.»

Amparo, founded by young Tajik lawyers in 2005, monitors human rights violations, torture allegations, and the rights of the Tajik Army soldiers.

The group’s leaders say they will appeal the court’s decision.

http://www.rferl.org/content/hrw-slams-tajik-ngo-ban/24750600.html

Mid-career media professionals who reside outside of the United States can apply for a fellowship.

The 2013 Yale World Fellows Program is seeking applications from emerging leaders who have distinguished themselves within their own professions, regions, countries, or at an international level.

Candidates for the fellowship must demonstrate to be driving forces for action or effective catalysts of change. In significant ways and in significant arenas, each must show promise of a career trajectory of increasing responsibility and impact.

There are two primary aspects to the fellowship experience on campus. First, the fellows participate fully in an academic curriculum that advances their critical-thinking and leadership skills. Second, the fellows become teachers and mentors by deepening the understanding of the entire Yale community about the complexity and diversity of the world. They guest lecture in classes, meet with student groups, deliver campus-wide lectures and contribute to informal dialogue and learning across the campus.

The program runs annually from mid-August to mid-December. The application deadline is December 5.

For more information, click here: http://www.yale.edu/worldfellows/application_eligibility.html

http://www.yale.edu/worldfellows/application_eligibility.html

Journalists worldwide interested in using social media to report on public affairs can participate in this program.

The Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism at Ohio State University invites journalists to apply for the 2013 Kiplinger Fellowship.

Participants will explore creative reporting uses of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media sites. Training sessions will showcase strategies for backgrounding individuals and companies, as well as building an online following. Fellows will learn the latest tactics for effective public affairs reporting, including the retrieval of public records, documents and data.

Print, broadcast and online journalists with five or more years of experience and strong English skills are eligible to apply.

The fellowship includes accommodation and a travel stipend, and will take place April 7 — 12, 2013 in in Columbus, Ohio.

The deadline is November 30.

For more information, click here: http://kiplingerprogram.org/kiplinger_program/apply.html

http://kiplingerprogram.org/kiplinger_program/apply.html

KHUJAND, Tajikistan — A court in Tajikistan’s northern city of Khujand has shut down a human rights group, saying it operated without a proper license.

Junaid Ibodov, a lawyer for the Amparo group, told RFE/RL that the case was politically motivated.

Tajikistan’s Justice Ministry filed a lawsuit against Amparo, saying it failed to timely show its address change at the ministry.

Amparo was founded by about 30 young Tajik lawyers in 2005.

It monitors human rights violations, torture allegations, and the rights of Tajik Army soldiers.

It also helps local citizens to learn more about their rights through conferences and online discussions.

The association has often been cited by the UN Human Rights Commission.

Amparo leaders say they will appeal the court’s decision.

http://www.rferl.org/content/tajikistan-shuts-down-rights-group/24749874.html

Dushanbe, Tajikistan, October 23, 2012 – In the twenty years of partnership between the U.S. Government and the Government of Tajikistan, we have been impressed with the strength and skills of people across the country. We want to take a moment to acknowledge their hard work and the many things we’ve learned from our partnership together. Here are some of the stories that have inspired us.

Dilafruz Subhonqulova received training from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on greenhouse construction, poultry farming, canning and preserving fruits and vegetables, and collecting and storing vegetable seeds. She taught her newly acquired skills to 36 other women of Kashot village in the Jirgatol district. “Every woman in the group, including myself, earned between $228-342 per month from selling our greenhouse products.” Over the next five years, an estimated 201,000 local smallholder farmers will receive assistance through USAID’s Feed the Future program to escape poverty and under-nutrition.

Hoji Mirzo Ismailov is a partner of USAID’s Productive Agriculture Project, which increases farmers’ incomes by promoting best practices. Ismailov expects to harvest 20 tons of premium tomatoes that can sell for 50 percent more than tomatoes grown using other methods. “It has been a great opportunity to work with USAID because we share similar goals to develop the agriculture sector in Tajikistan,” he said during a recent visit with local government officials.

Another way that we are working together for increased regional stability is to improve economic growth and trade. USAID has helped facilitate over $2.5 million in trade deals for Tajik companies. When USAID focused on strengthening microfinance systems, participating banks quadrupled their portfolios to $7.1 million. The U.S. Government has worked with its donor partners and Tajikistan’s Customs Service to implement a Unified Automated Information System. Use of the electronic system has cut the preparation time for a customs declaration from three hours to three minutes. In the first seven months, the declarations prepared using the automated system improved the acceptance rate from 1 percent to 99 percent.

This month, the American people will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the FREEDOM Support Act, which provided assistance to countries emerging from the former Soviet Union. Since 1992, the U.S. Government has provided more than $984 million in development assistance to Tajikistan. The gains we have made by working together have been significant, but there is more that we can do. We look forward to continuing this important partnership with the government and the people of Tajikistan in order to ensure a stable and prosperous future for all.

http://dushanbe.usembassy.gov/