Freedom of Speech in Tajikistan

January 2014

In January 2014, the Monitoring Service received 22 reports. Ten of them describe the factual situation in the media in the light of social, legal and political environment; six reports describe direct violations of rights of media professionals; and six reports describe conflicts and accusations against the media and journalists.

I. POLITICAL, SOCIAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEGAL ENVIRONMENT DEFINING THE FACTUAL SITUATION IN THE MEDIA

1. Statements and actions of public officials defining the factual status of the mass media

13 January
Strategic Research Center under the president, Dushanbe

Khudoiberdy Kholiknazarov, director of the Strategic Research Center under the President’s Office expressed bewilderment over the coverage of the Tajik-Kyrgyz border conflict in the media.

Speaking at a press conference in Dushanbe on 13 January, the official called recent publications in the Tajik media “prevocational”.

13 January
EU office in Dushanbe

The European Office in Dushanbe expressed concern over the recent arrest and beating of Abdurakhim Shukurov, a cameraman of the Ozodagon news agency.

The EU office appreciated the release of Shukurov from custody and called the Tajik authorities to conduct operative and comprehensive investigation.

The EU office urged the government of Tajikistan to comply with relevant international commitments ensuring unimpeded work of media professionals.

The UE office expressed its readiness to assist the Tajik authorities in creating proper environment for the media and the freedom of expression.

2. Factual situation in the media and the freedom of speech

6 January
All media, Sughd province

Newspapers in Sughd province will be published in the format of A3.

This initiative was supported by the province administration – to improve the technical quality and the appearance of printing outlets.

The total circulation of the three newspapers belonging to the Sughd province administration is 11 thousand. The most popular of them is Hakikati Sughd – 6,120 copies.

9 January
TV Tanin, Sughd province

The Sughd province administration declared the launching of a new TV station.

TV Tanin is broadcasting in a testing mode. The new TV company is designed as a cultural electronic medium; it will be also broadcasting sports programs and artistic movies.

The founder of the TV company is Shermuhammad Shermatov, a popular Tajik singer.

At present, there are two private TV stations in the city of Khujand, the administrative center of Sughd province – SM-1 and Asia.

15 January

Khafta weekly, Dushanbe

A new weekly, Khafta has entered the Tajik media market. The circulation is one thousand copies.

Khikmatiori Khikmatzod, editor of the newspaper told the media that the outlet is a successor of Ovoza va Khakikat, which existed since 2011 to 2013.

The new outlet has a new format. It touches upon politics, economy and social topics. According to the editor, the newspaper has the purpose of strengthening democratic values and covering social issues.21 January

Human Rights Watch (HRW)

The international organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) mentioned in its new report that the situation in the area of human rights and freedoms has deteriorated on the eve and during the presidential elections in Tajikistan in 2013.

“Tajikistan further restricted media freedoms in 2013. Authorities periodically blocked access to independent websites and filed defamation suits against, or otherwise intimidated, critical journalists. While the 2012 decriminalization of libel was a step forward, Tajik law retains criminal sanctions for insulting the president or any government representative, creating a chilling effect on the freedom of speech”, — the report says.

Link to the report: http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2014/country-chapters/tajikistan

3. Journalists and the media protecting their professional and civil rights

14 January
Union of Journalists, Dushanbe

The Tajik Union of Journalists intends to create the Museum of Tajik journalism.

The Union also intends to publish the Encyclopedia of Tajik Journalism and to create a club of editors.

31 January
All media, Dushanbe

On 29-31 January, the Tajik National Association of Independent Mass Media conducted a seminar for the commercial sector on the topic of managerial skills in market economy.

The seminar was organized within the framework of the project Management in the Media and Safety of Journalistic Creative Activities in Tajikistan financed by the International Media Support, Denmark and the National Endowment for Democracy, the US embassy in Dushanbe.
II. VIOLATION OF RIGHTS IN THE MEDIA

1. Freedom of expression

23 January
PIRT, Khujand, Sughd province

A group comprising of representatives of fire brigades, the government Religious Affairs Committee and the sanitary-epidemic station sealed the premises of the Party of Islamic Renaissance of Tajikistan (PIRT).

The Party was going to hold a press conference and share information with the media on the Party’s member Umedjon Tojiev who died in a hospital.

Ilkhomjon Yokubov, chairman of the PIRT brunch in Sughd province told the Ozodagon news agency that the “action” was conducted by the order from above.

2. Threats

29 January
Amonullo Khukumov, Tajik Railroads, Dushanbe

Amonullo Khukumov, head of the unitary enterprise Tajik Railroads told the media at a press conference that he is going to apply to the court against the ImruzNews weekly.

The official was furious with a publication in the newspaper, which said that he and his son were on the run after a deadly traffic incident.

“I am not going to leave you alone. I know who snads behind you, and I have sufficient legal knowledge to take an action. Don’t put your lives at risk…”

In response to Khukumov’s speech, the editor of ImruzNews Rustami Joni told the media that “…the author of the article is not only our correspondent, but also a citizen of the country; threats against the newspaper are threats against the journalist. We are going to discuss the situation with our lawyers. Public officials have no right to intimidate the media”.
3. Interference in creative activities

29 January

Tajik television, Dushanbe

The former director of the government-controlled TV Poytakht Abdukodiri Abdukahhor told the Asia Plus news agency about his disputes with the mayor of Dushanbe Makhmadsaid Ubaidullaev.

“I intended to upgrade the TV Company to the international level, but the mayor insisted on keeping the TV station at the municipal level, i.e. to cover exclusively the issues related to the city. He said that we should not touch upon regional, international issues, the politics, etc. I realized that I will not be able to reach my ambitious goals and decided to resign”.

TV Poytakht has been functioning since 1996. In 2006, the mayor issued a resolution giving the TV Company a status of the state television. Abdukodiri Abdukahhor was appointed the director of TV Pytakht on a competitive basis. Prior to that, he was the head of the State Radio Company Tojikiston.

5. Disputes over the status of the state language

8 January
All media, Dushanbe

The Nigokh weekly (#41 (372), 8 JANUARY 2014) published an open letter to Saidmurod Fattoev, advisor to Asadullo Rakhmonov, chairman of the State Broadcasting Committee under the government with a copy to the government Language and Terminology Committee.

The letter says that the state TV companies – Shabakai Avval, Safina, Jahonnamo, and Bakhoriston violate the standards of the state language. The author of the publication in Nigokh complains that many TV programs are broadcast in Russian language, mainly football matches and artistic movies. The author is concerned that “such active use of the Russian language by the state TV stationsundermine the status of the Tajik language”.

III. CONFLICTS AND VIOLATIONS IN THE MEDIA

1. Ethical norms in journalism

24 January

All media

The Council on Media Affairs under the government has accomplished the national monitoring of ethical norms in journalism. The monitoring covered 43 printing outlets and 10 online media.

Experts who conducted the monitoring divided the Tajik mass media into three categories: healthy, unstable and unhealthy.

Among the healthy ones are the newspapers Nigokh, Ruzgor, Farazh, Ozodagon, Adabiyot va Sanat, Asia Plus, the magazines Bonuvon, Chashma, and Navnikhol.

The unstable ones are Sadoi Mardum, Narodnaya Gazeta, ImruzNews, Minbari Khalk, Tajikistan, Charkhi Gardun, SSSR, Millat, and Manu Tu.

The unhealthy ones are Jumkhuriyat, Oila, Mukhabbat va Oila, and Zan va Mard. According to the Council experts, those outlets publish defaming materials with rude contents.

The Council especially criticizes “publications based on allegations, which defame the national law enforcement agencies”.

27 January

Union of Journalists, Dushanbe

The chairman of the Tajik Union of Journalists Akbarali Sattorov told the Asia Plus news agency that the recent monitoring of ethical standards in the media can provoke a serious dissent among journalists.

“The Council on Media Affairs can conduct any monitoring; however, it has no right to evaluate the work of the media in such a way”, — he said. – “The media can be evaluated by the audience, but not by certain experts”.

28 January
Council on Media Affairs, Dushanbe

Kirinshokh Sharifzoda, chairman of the Council on Media Affairs under the government told the Ozodagon news agency that he had a telephone conversation with the editor of the ImruzNews weekly. The editor expressed discontent over the recent monitoring of ethical standards in the Tajik printing media and the conclusions drawn by the Council.

On 31 January, the Council on Media Affairs officially apologized to the ImruzNews weekly and the Jumkhuriyat for improper terms used in the monitoring report, i.e. dividing the media into three categories – “healthy”, “unstable” and “unhealthy”, admitting that the definitions sound rude and impolite.

2. Appeal from judgment

6 January
Makhmadyusuf Ismoilov, freelance journalist, Sughd province

The Sughd province court presidium ruled not to change the verdict against the freelance journalist Makhmadyusuf Ismoilov.

Sadriddin Saidov, the journalist’s lawyer told NANSMIT that in December 2013, the defendant appealed against the verdict of the Matcha district court (dated 28 October 2013) and the verdict of the Sughd province court (27 November 2013).

The journalist was convicted to a lengthy prison term and a big penalty.

The Tajik human rights watchdogs and media organizations repeatedly expressed concern over Ismoilov’s conflicts with local officials in Sughd province. Ismoilov is known as the author of articles criticizing the administration and disclosing corruption in the province. Observers say that the verdict against the journalist might be a revenge for his professional activities.

 

 

Last July, authorities in Tajikistan confiscated the only manuscript of a little-known novelist’s latest book. In what can only be described as an Orwellian sequence, after the manuscript was seized at a Dushanbe printing house, the author was hauled in for interrogation and asked questions like, “who ordered you to write this book?”

The author, Pulod Abuev, 69, later appealed to representatives of the feared State Committee for National Security (GKNB) to have his work returned to him. After some time, Abuev was told that a special committee at the state-run Academy of Sciences had reviewed his writings, including stories critical of Tajikistan’s widespread corruption, and decided it “offends the Tajik people.” The manuscript, thus, was not returned.

At a January 17 news conference, Abdulvokhid Shamolov of the Academy of Sciences, who conducted the review of Abuev’s work, said the author had expressed support for the theories of an unnamed “Uzbek scientist” who has denied the existence of the Tajik nation. “The Academy of Sciences and the National Security Committee [GKNB] have performed their duties – to ensure security in the country,” Shamolov said in comments carried by the Asia Plus news agency.

Abuev’s case has heightened fears among some in Dushanbe’s creative class that Tajik authorities are trying to stamp out any form of freethinking under the vague pretext of patriotism. Already self-censorship is widespread among journalists who face libel charges and death threats when tackling tricky subjects. Local observers say the chief enforcer of the government’s perceived “group-think” campaign is the GKNB, which is the recipient of training assistance from the American military.

Abuev believes he was labeled an agent of rival Uzbekistan simply for expressing forthright views about the present state of Tajik society. One of the short stories in the manuscript is a thinly disguised tale about a new toll road that profits relatives of the president’s family.

“I write about life, about labor migrants, about corruption and the hypocrisy of bureaucrats. Somebody has seen a threat to national security in my work. This is ridiculous,” Abuev told EurasiaNet.org.

The space for intellectual discourse is vanishing, according to celebrated playwright Barzu Abdurazzakov. He went on to assert that authorities are gagging literature that even the most zealous Soviet censor would have found unproblematic. “Take any classical play by Shakespeare or Chekhov, and the bureaucrats will immediately detect ‘a national security threat.’ If it keeps going this way, they will ban all of ancient literature and classical dramaturgy – since all those plays tell us about the tragedy of kings and their children,” Abdurazzakov told EurasiaNet.org. (Many of President Imomali Rakhmon’s relatives occupy senior government posts and other prominent positions).

Abdurazzakov, perhaps unsurprisingly in this atmosphere, says he is unable to find work these days in Tajikistan.

When a social critic happens to be a member of an ethnic minority, the personal attacks can get ugly, noted Temur Varky, a Tajik citizen from a minority background who operates an independent television station in Moscow that broadcasts to audiences in Tajikistan.

In several Facebook messages since June, one “Tamara Obidova” has called Varky “a traitor and liar with a family name alien to Tajiks.” Obidova wrote that Varky “is trying to split” Tajikistan, “the crowned nation of Asia.” She went on to compare Varky to Tamerlane, a folk villain in Tajikistan who is revered as a conquering hero in neighboring Uzbekistan.

In Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as in many of the states that gained independence after the Soviet Union’s demise, attempts to define national identity often resort to “us versus them” tropes. Such unsophisticated nationalism enables officials to blame mysterious outside forces, dodge criticism and dilute responsibility for their own missteps. In the pro-government media, arguments about resources or borders often degenerate into disputes about historical rivalries dating back centuries.

Varky and several newspaper editors in Dushanbe who spoke on condition of anonymity believe “Tamara Obidova” and other, similar Internet trolls are working on behalf of the GKNB. (Similar allegations are common in Uzbekistan and Russia, too). Varky says his troubles with Obidova began soon after he announced his support for Zaid Saidov, an opposition politician arrested a few months before presidential elections last year. (Most independent observers believe the arrest was politically motivated — designed to silence a reformist and potential rival to President Rakhmon, who ended up securing reelection).

Human Rights Watch noted that the November vote “lacked meaningful political competition.” Last month, Saidov was sentenced to 26 years in prison on a variety of charges after a closed trial that few believe was fair.

“Authorities are hounding his [Saidov’s] supporters and those expressing alternative views,” Varky told EurasiaNet.org.

Ironically, Rakhmon scolded officials less than two years ago for not responding to criticism: He called criticism “a constructive phenomenon,” adding that it was “an important factor for development in society.”

That was then; these days those viewing the rich and the powerful with a critical eye often face a backlash. For example, Olga Tutubalina, the editor of the Asia Plus weekly, is being sued for an article she wrote last year criticizing members of government-funded creative and artistic unions as government sycophants. Tutubalina – a non-Tajik minority who was born in Dushanbe – has received racist hate mail charging she is trying to destroy the Tajik nation.

Meanwhile, authorities are working to define what is Tajik and what is not. Earlier this month, for instance, the Dushanbe mayor’s office announced it would begin monitoring music in taxis and on public buses to prevent passengers from listening to tunes that are “alien to national and universal human values.”

Editor’s note: 

Konstantin Parshin is a freelance writer based in Tajikistan

http://eurasianet.org/node/67986

The spelling of one’s name was once a point of patriotic pride in Tajikistan, where people rushed to drop Russian-style suffixes just a few years ago. 

After the country’s president, in a nod to Tajik identity, dropped his Russified name Emomali Sharifovich Rahmonov for Emomali Rahmon in 2007, name endings like «-ov,» «-ev,» and «-ovich» began to disappear.

But now they are creeping back, in what one Tajik official has warned is a sign of «the low level of national and patriotic identity of the younger generation.»

The alarm bell was sounded by Tajik Prosecutor-General Sherkhon Salimzoda in an opinion piece he penned for the government newspaper Chumkhuriyat («The Republic») on January 21.

Describing a trend he says began two years ago, Salimzoda said Russian-style spellings of surnames and patronymics are again in vogue, particularly among young men.

As proof he presented figures culled from the country’s three largest universities, where he said only two students specifically requested that their names be changed to their Tajik form in 2013, whereas 513 requested that their names be spelled with Russian-style endings.

But while Salimzoda has called the reversal a blow to Tajik national pride, many young Tajiks argue that this is no name game — it’s a necessity.

The main reason to go back to the Russian-style spellings of their names, they say, is to avoid trouble in Russia. More than one in seven Tajiks travel to Russia every year for employment as migrant workers, for which they are often the target of discrimination and even racially-charged violence.

«It’s easier to have a Russian name if you live and work there,» says Hasan Sadulloev, a student at the Tajik National University in Dushanbe who works in Russia during his summer holidays.

Shifting Name Trends

Two years ago, Sadulloev was officially known as «Hasani Abdullo,» but he now goes by «Sadulloev Hasan Abdulloevich.»

«Because of my Tajik-style name I encountered many problems with paperwork in Russia. I was told my full name consisted of only two names — my first name and my father’s name — instead of three names as required in Russia,» Sadulloev said.

» Apparently it wasn’t clear which one was the surname and which one was the patronymic . As a result of this name confusion, I was deported.»

Sadulloev’s concerns echo those expressed by other Tajiks in mainstream and social media in the wake of Prosecutor-General Salimzoda’s remarks.

But official circles have apparently taken his words as a call to action. On January 24, just days after Salimzoda’s article was published, Agriculture Minister Qosim Qosimov announced that he had applied for a formal name change.

Qosimov said he will soon be known as Qosim «Rohbar» — which means «leader» in Tajik. Previously the agriculture minister employed «Rohbar» — his father’s name — as his Russian-style patronymic «Rahbarovich.»

Tajiks began dropping Russian-style suffixes in the early 1990s, amid a wave of national pride and efforts to restore Tajik identity following the fall of the Soviet Union.

Many formally changed their names and ensured that the idea would stick with the next generation by giving newborns Tajik-style names.

Names and surnames in Tajikistan can be seen as an indicator of societal trends and preferences.

In the 1980s and 1990s names from Tajik-Persian history and literature became increasingly popular for children. Thousands of babies were named after Persian royals and heroes, or characters from Persian literature.

In the past decade, however, Tajiks have become fond of Islamic names, reflecting the growing influence of Islam in society.

http://www.rferl.org/content/tajik-officials-unhappy-russian-surnames-back-in-fashion/25241429.html

Russia’s Federal Migration Service says U.S. journalist David Satter has the right to appeal a decision that bars him from entering the country for five years. 

Deputy chief Dmitry Demidenko told journalists on January 15 that Satter was in Russia in late November 2013 without a valid visa «and therefore violated the rules of his stay.»

He said a new regulation that took effect in August 2013 stipulated administrative expulsion as the only possible sanction.

The U.S. State Department said it was «disappointed» by Moscow’s decision.

Satter, 66, had been living and working in Russia since September 2013 as an adviser to RFE/RL’s Russian Service.

Satter, who left Russia for Ukraine at the start of December, reapplied for a Russian visa in Kyiv.

He said he received notification that his request was approved but was told later that his presence in Russia was considered «undesirable.»

Based on reporting by Interfax and RIA Novosti

http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-satter-can-appeal/25230893.html

Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmud Alavi says there is «no need» for media to publish details of cases of economic corruption. 

Alavi, who was speaking on January 14 to Iran’s semiofficial Mehr news agency, added that the coverage of corruption cases by the media can hurt investment in the country.

«There is no need to publish instances of action against corruption in the media,» Alavi told Mehr. «Covering these cases affects investment’s security instead of harnessing corruption.»

It wasn’t clear whether the comments would lead to more red lines for Iran’s newspapers, which already face limitations in what and how they can cover sensitive issues, including the nuclear dossier.

In recent weeks, Iranian press and websites have been publishing details of alleged business dealings by Iranian tycoon Babak Zanjani, who was arrested late last month for what has been described as «financial crimes.»

His arrest came following an order by President Hassan Rohani to fight financial corruption particularly among «privileged figures» who have taken advantage of economic sanctions Iran is facing over its sensitive nuclear work.

Zanjani has been accused of evading sanctions through his network of companies in in Iran, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Tajikistan. Zanjani, who is reportedly being held at Tehran’s Evin prison, has been blacklisted by the United States and the European Union.

READ more about Zanjani here

When asked about Zanjani’s case and whether his ministry has sent a report to the judiciary, Alavi gave a vague answer: «A case is being reviewed by the judiciary, until this body issues a verdict, someone who has been merely charged with a crime, should not be presented as a criminal and be reflected as such in the media.»

Alavi also said he couldn’t comment on whether his ministry has reported on alleged criminal case against 24 members of the previous government. «I can’t comment on this yet,» he said.

In 2012, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei told media «not to drag out» on financial corruption. Khamenei was speaking about the Islamic republic’slargest bank-fraud case, which was estimated at $2.6 billion.

—Golnaz Esfandiari

http://www.rferl.org/content/iran-corruption-coverage-minister-economy-alavi/25231470.html

RFE/RL has condemned the harassment and intimidation of independent journalists in Ukraine, including a smear campaign targeting RFE/RL contributor Vitaliy Portnikov. 

In December, a video containing intimate and illegally obtained images of the journalist appeared on the Internet.

His Kyiv apartment was also picketed last week by some 50 protesters who carried threatening posters and accused Portnikov of «immoral behavior.»

RFE/RL President Kevin Klose called the actions «an orchestrated effort to discredit independent, professional journalists, reminiscent of the most reprehensible tactics of Soviet times.»

Portnikov is a prominent Ukrainian journalist who heads the TVi channel.

He began working with RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service in the early 1990s.

He is a member of the public committee of Euromaidan, the organizing body of pro-EU demonstrations that emerged after President Viktor Yanukovych rejected an agreement on closer ties with the European Union in November.

http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-media-rferl-rights/25231079.html

The European Union Delegation issues the following statement in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission in Tajikistan. Читать далее Local Statement on the recent arrest of Abdurakhim Shukurov →

The U.S. State Department says it is «disappointed» that U.S. journalist and RFE/RL adviser David Satter has been denied a visa by Russian authorities. 

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said on January 14 that «hindering the free flow of information undermines… free debate and discussion.»

U.S. Representative Eliot Engel (Democrat-New York), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the visa denial was «another blow to freedom of the press and independent journalism in Russia.»

Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on January 14 saying Satter had «grossly violated» the country’s visa-entry rules by staying in Russia on an expired visa. It said Satter has been banned from entering Russia for five years.

Satter told RFE/RL that «this is a problem of their own making. And they have created it intentionally to cover up the real reasons behind their actions.»

Satter, who left Russia for Ukraine at the start of December, reapplied for a Russian visa in Kyiv.

He said he received notification in December that his visa request was approved — including an official notification number from the Russian Foreign Ministry — but was told later by a Russian Embassy official in Kyiv that his presence in Russia was considered «undesirable.»

«The question about the reasons why [I have been denied visa to Russia] has to be addressed to them, not me — they know their reasons far better than I do,» Satter said.

Satter had been living in Russia since September 2013 and working as an adviser to RFE/RL’s Russian Service.

RFE/RL President Kevin Klose said «the company and Mr. Satter acted in good faith at all times to conform to all instructions conveyed from the Russian Foreign Ministry regarding Mr. Satter’s visa application.»

http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-satter-visa-rejection/25229610.html

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s President Kevin Klose says the Russian government has denied a visa request to David Satter — a distinguished U.S. journalist and adviser to RFE/RL. 

Klose said in a statement on January 13 that the U.S. Embassy in Moscow has been informed of the action against Satter and has lodged a formal diplomatic protest with the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Klose says the U.S. Embassy has sought an explanation from the Russian Foreign Ministry without success.

Satter had been living and working in Russia as an RFE/RL adviser since September 2013.

He had been reporting and providing commentary to RFE/RL’s Russian Service.

He had also been providing interviews and analysis to other news and opinion websites.

Satter received notification in December that his visa request was approved – including an official notification number from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

He’d been told to present that number to the Russian Embassy in Kyiv.

But Satter says he was told later by a Russian Embassy official in the Ukrainian capital that his presence in Russia was considered “undesirable” and his visa request had been rejected.

Klose said he considers the use of the term «undesirable» by the Russian official to be the equivalent of declaring Satter «persona non grata» in Russia.

http://www.rferl.org/content/rferl-satter-russia-visa/25229041.html

DUSHANBE — The mayor of the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, has banned music in the city’s public transportation system that is «alien to national and universal human values.» 

The mayor’s office announced on January 10 that, according to a resolution signed by Makhmadsaid Ubaidulloev, special raids will be regularly held to monitor the usage of music.

The campaign will be conducted jointly by the Interior Ministry and the Ministry of Culture.

Tajik authorities have been raising the issue of using music on public transport for months.

Concerns were expressed regarding songs glorifying the criminal world, songs with sexual content, and music that propagates «non-traditional Islam.»

A telephone hotline has already been established for complaints by passengers.

http://www.rferl.org/content/dushanbe-mayor-nontraditional-music-ban/25226122.html