Freedom of Speech in Tajikistan

February 2014

In February 2014, the Monitoring Service received 29 reports. Fourteen of them describe the factual situation in the media in the light of social, legal and political environment; seven reports describe direct violations of rights of media professionals; and eight 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

6 February
Committee on Language and Terminology under the government, Dushanbe

“The Asia Plus weekly is obliged to publish at least 30 percent of its materials in the state language; however, the whole content of the newspaper is in Russian”, — stated Shodmon Mansurov, head of the legal unit of the government Language and Terminology Committee at a press conference in Dushanbe.

The official added that the newspaper is published on the basis of the national media law, which contains provisions saying that “periodicals must ensure that not less than 30 percent of their publications are printed in the state language”.

11 February

Committee on Language and Terminology under the government, Dushanbe

“When somebody says that “journalists are prostitutes”, it is seen as free opinion. Then, why somebody is so insulted when they hear that “intelligentsia is shit”, — said Gavhar Shafozoda, head of the State Committee on Language and Terminology under the government.

Expressing her opinion at a press conference, Ms. Sharofzoda said that that the Committee has recently finished the expertise of the article by Olga Tutubalina published in a popular Tajik weekly Asia Plus. She added that there is a big confusion caused by irrelevant people who refer themselves to the “class of intelligentsia” and claim that journalists defame and insult them.

12 February

Ministry of Interior, Dushanbe

“The Tajik Ministry of Interior appreciates and encourages the interest of the mass media to the activities of the law enforcement agencies. The Minister, Ramazon Rakhimov promised to maintain contacts with the media”, — says a press release published on the Ministry’s official web site.

The Minister expressed a desire to discuss the results of his visit to Sughd province of Tajikistan after his return from the trip.

The Ministry expressed gratitude to journalists for their efforts and realistic coverage of activities conducted by the law enforcement agencies.

It should be noted that at the end of December 2013, the media community of Tajikistan demanded to organize a meeting with the Minister having reminded the law enforcement agencies about numerous cases of violation of human rights in the country in general and professional rights of journalists in particular.

27 February
OSCE, Vienna

Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE Special Representative for the Freedom of the Media expressed concern regarding the recent ruling of the court against Olga Tutubalina and the Asia Plus weekly.

This case has caused a big resonance in the society; the media called it “Intelligentsia against Tutubalina”.
Speaking in New York at an international conference on the freedom of the media, Tutubalina stated that the court obliged her to pay 4,5 thousand euros as a compensation to three individuals who claimed that they suffered physically and mentally after the original publication in the Asia Plus weekly (those three individuals have nothing to do with the publication; their names were not in the article; they claim that they belong to the class of intelligentsia).
“The democratic society should conduct public debates on cases like that, and financial punishment of journalists and the media is not acceptable”, — said the OSCE official.
26 February
The Media Council of Tajikistan, Dushanbe

Kirinsho Sharifzoda, head of the Tajik Media Council expressed bewilderment about the ruling of the court on the case “Intelligentsia against Olga Tutubalina and Asia Plus”.

“I have no clue why the court did not take into consideration the numerous arguments of the Asia Plus and other professional experts. Since the very beginning, we have been stating that the publication is “a personal opinion”; the author did not make any references to any particular individuals”, — said Sharifzoda.
2. Factual situation in the media and the freedom of speech

5 February
Salom, private radio station, Chkalovsk, Sughd province

A new radio station started broadcasting in the city of Chkalovsk, Sughd province.

Radio Salom is a private radio company created with support of the municipal administration. The station broadcasts ten hours a day on the frequency of 93,3 FM.

At present, ten radio companies operate in Sughd province; nine of them are private.
12 February
Reporters Without Borders

The international non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders issued the World Freedom of Press Index — 2014. The organization conducted assessments of the media freedom in 180 countries.

Tajikistan was rated 115, leaving behind the Ukraine, Afghanistan, the Russian federation, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iran and China. In 2013, Tajikistan was rated 123-rd.

The report says that the media coverage of the presidential elections was mainly in the favor of Emomali Rakhmon who has been in power for more than 20 years. “The blocking of access to web sites, news portals and social networks by the authorities has become a common phenomenon in the country. The new media low has a good impact only on paper, but it has not been useful in practice”, — the report says.
14 February
Committee to Protect Journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a report titled “Attacks against the media in 2013.

“Although the draft media law was accepted and signed, the legislators failed to decriminalize the article on insult of the president and to exclude other repressive measures against the mass media”, — the report says.
The document also says that the adoption of the new legislation has not had any positive impact on the freedom of speech on the eve of the presidential elections.

“To pave the unimpeded way to the fourth term of Emomali Rakhmon, the authorities continued jamming the critics using a toolkit of repressive measures, such as intimidation of journalists by security services, denial of accreditation and protracted court trials. The government communication services gave orders to local Internet providers to block access to web resources, social networks, etc.”, — the report says.
25 January
The US embassy in Dushanbe

The United States embassy in Dushanbe expressed concern over the court ruling against the Asia Plus weekly and its editor, Olga Tutubalina.

“The decision of the court will have a negative impact on the freedom of the media in Tajikistan”, — says the statement issued by the embassy. — “We consider that journalists must use their right to freedom of expression, and they deserve a high level of protection”.

28 February
The EU delegation in Tajikistan, Dushanbe

The EU delegation in Tajikistan expressed concern regarding the verdict of the Firdausi district court in Dushanbe against the Asia Plus weekly and its editor.

The EU delegation called on the Tajik authorities to observe the freedom of expression in accordance with Tajikistan’s international commitments.
3. Journalists and the media protecting their professional and civil rights
4 February
All media, Dushanbe

On 4 February, the Union of Journalists of Tajikistan and the National Association of Independent Mass Media (NANSMIT) published a statement condemning the actions of Amonullo Khukumov, head of the unitary enterprise Tajik Railways against the Imruz News weekly.

The statement says that at a press conference held on 29 January in Dushanbe, the official was threatening the managers and journalists of the Imruz News weekly. There has been no reaction so far on those threats from the law enforcement agencies.

“We consider that a press conference is a floor for dissemination of information and maintaining efficient cooperation with the mass media; but it is not a tribune for settling of accounts with the media and journalists”, — the statement says.
11 February
All media, Dushanbe

the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) is commencing a three-year project “Expanding rights and opportunities of the media and the civil society to support democratic reforms in Tajikistan”.

Representative of IWPR in Dushanbe told the media that the main goal of the project is to promote close cooperation between the civil society activists and the independent media.

The project is designed to strengthen the capacity of independent mass media in the area of journalistic investigations and analytical articles, to stimulate a constructive dialogue between human rights watchdogs, the media and local administrations.
28 February
All media, Dushanbe

The Media Council of Tajikistan, the National Association of Independent Mass Media (NANSMIT), the Media Alliance of Tajikistan and the non-governmental organization Khoma expressed concern over the court verdict against the Asia Plus weekly.

The statement says that the decision of the Firdausi district court on the case “Intelligentsia against Asia Plus and Olga Tutubalina” (original article published in Asia Plus, #40, 30.05.2013) obliging the newspaper to pay 30 thousand Somoni as moral compensation to the claimants (government-supported creative unions and three individuals) is ungrounded and unfair.

“We consider that litigations between the media, institutions and the civil court is one of the highest values and requirements of the democratic system. The attitude of courts, the primary instance courts in particular, to such issues must be in compliance with the standards of the national legislation and the international conventions acknowledged by Tajikistan. We state with concern that the trial was conducted with violations of procedural norms. The court’s verdict jeopardizes the principles of objectiveness and impartiality of judicial bodies”, — the statement says.

28 February
All media, Dushanbe

The British Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) conducted a two-day training in Dushanbe on the issues of interaction between journalists and human rights watchdogs.
Fourteen participants – journalists and representatives of local NGOs – learned about the methodologies of interviewing victims of human rights abuse and legal aspects of interviewing violators of human rights.
Nuriddin Karshiboev, chairman of the National Association of Independent Mass Media and Sergey Romanov, head of the Independent Human Rights Center were trainers at the seminar.
 

II. VIOLATION OF RIGHTS IN THE MEDIA

1. Threats

6 February
Jumkhuriyat, government newspaper, Dushanbe

Emom Nazarov, correspondent of the government newspaper Jumkhuriyat published an article titled “Indecent commercials are illegal” (Jumkhuriyat, #10, 14. 01.2014), where he criticized a billboard installed near the Ministry of culture in the downtown area of the capital. The billboard advertises a tattoo studio; in the center of the billboard, there is a semi-naked lady with tattoos decorating some parts of her body.
The author of the article says that such commercials contradict the mentality and the national traditions; they look very indecent. The journalist told the NANSMIT monitoring service that after his publication, the municipal unit regulating advertisement in Dushanbe reported about the measures taken; however, the “most private parts of the female body on the billboard” were painted, but the billboard remained at the very same spot.

After a while, Nazarov started receiving phone calls from an unknown individual who threatened him.
14 February
Paik newspaper, Kulyab, Khatlon province

On 14 February, Akhmad Ibrohim, the founder and editor of a private newspaper Paik received a phone call from an unknown individual who threatened to kill him. Ibrohim told the NANSMIT monitoring service that the person who called him was furious about the recent publication in February 2014 criticizing the state registry institutions.
The journalist said that the unknown individual was threatening to “annihilate” him within the next week and to do the same with his relatives. Ibrohim filed a complaint to the local police department.
2. Illegal prohibition of publication

17 February
Hafta, private newspaper, Dushanbe

The Ministry of Culture closed the Hafta weekly right after the first issue was printed in January.
Hafta is a successor of the weekly Ovoza va Khakikat, which existed from Macrh 2011 to October 2013.
Abdukayum Kayumzod, editor of the newspaper told NANSMIT that the Ministry of Culture is concerned about the changing of the outlet’s style and format – previously, it was cultural and educational, now, it is political.
“The ministry officials told us that we have gone too far beyond our sphere of activities. They are also concerned about the changing of the founder of the outlet”, — said Kayumzod.

3. Illegal blocking of web sites

24 February
Radio Ozodi, Dushanbe

Local Internet providers in Tajikistan blocked access to the web site of Radio Ozodi (the Tajik service of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty).
Only one of the Internet providing companies – Babylon – openly acknowledged that it follows the order from the government – to block access to certain online resources. Other companies refuse to comment on this.
Administration of radio Ozodi is confident that the blocking of the Internet resources has become a tool of pressure against the independent mass media and control of the freedom of expression.

25 February
US embassy in Dushanbe

The United States embassy in Dushanbe issued a statement expressing concern over the blocking of the Radio Ozodi web site.

“The United States is adherent to the principles of openness when it concerns the arguments about the freedom of the Internet. When ideas are blocked, the information is deleted and talks are suppressed, we lose the opportunity to hear and to exchange opinions”, — the statement says.

25 February
Kevin Klose, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

Kevin Klose, the president of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty RFE/RL condemned the actions of the Tajik authorities.
The blocking of the web sites ozodi.org and rus.ozodi.org by the Tajik Internet providers coincided with the coverage of events in the Ukraine. Radio Ozodi (the Tajik branch of RFE/RL ) covers the events in the format of live-streaming in Russian and Tajik languages; such information is not presented by the local Tajik state mass media.
The RFE/RL president called the Tajik authorities, especially the Communication Service under the government to taking appropriate measures to eliminate impediments for Radio Ozodi and to reinstating the right to access to information in Tajikistan.

III. CONFLICTS, VIOLATIONS, ACCUSATIONS AGEINST THE MEDIA

1. Protection of honor and dignity

6 February
Olga Tutubalina, Asia Plus weekly, Dushanbe

The Language and Terminology Committee under the government has produced the linguistic expertise of the article written by Olga Tutubalina and published in Asia Plus weekly (#40, 30 May 2013).

Following the errand of the court, members of the working group came to the conclusion that complainants in this case who consider themselves “representatives of the intelligentsia” can be offended by the word “shit”, and this particular word “refers to them”.

Criticizing the Tajik intelligentsia for the absence of opinion on acute social and economic problems, Olga Tutubalina quoted the chief of proletarians Vladimir Lenin who compared intelligentsia with shit… (“Intelligentsia is the shit of the nation rather than its brain).
The lawyers representing interests of Asia Plus and Olga Tutubalina stated that the linguistic expertise performed by the Language and Terminology Committee is incomplete, non-professional and non-impartial. “Experts have gone far beyond the court’s errand. They presented a judicial assessment rather than a linguistic one”.

11 February
Samak weekly, Dushanbe

The Firdousi district court in Dushanbe resumed hearings on the case of Askar Khakim, former chairman of the Union of Writers against the Samak weekly. The complainant demands the amount of 150 thousand Somoni from the newspaper as a moral compensation for defamation.
In March 2013, Samak published an article titled “The non-problematic Tajik intelligentsia” criticizing the Union of Artists; because of a technical error, the publication said “Union of Writers” instead of “Union of Artists”. In the next issue, the editor of Samak published apologies for the misprint. Moreover, the complainant Askar Khakim published his refutations twice in Samak. But eventually, he decided to file a case against the newspaper.

20 February
Radio and TV Committee, Dushanbe

The Party of Islamic Renaissance of Tajikistan (PIRT) filed a lawsuit against the National Security Committee and the Committee on Radio and Television under the government.

PIRT shared a statement with the media saying the following: “…we see how the National Security Committee and the Broadcasting Committee, the government TV stations Safina and Shabakai Avval defame our political party, violating Article 28 of the National Constitution (freedom to create political parties and coalitions)”.
21 February
Olga Tutubalina, Asia Plus weekly, Dushanbe

The lawyers of the Asia Plus weekly made a statement at the court hearings on the case “Intelligentsia against Olga Tutubalina”. The lawyers said that the claims of the five government-controlled creative unions and three individuals to the newspaper and its editor are illegal, ungrounded, illogical and absurd.
The lawyers stated that the complaint should not have been considered at all – since the complainants are “inappropriate”. The law does not contain any provisions or definitions of “intelligentsia”; the claimants (creative unions) have no right to make claim on behalf of any group or a social stratum – because they do not have such provisions in their statutory documents.

“The most surprising thing – the author did not mention any names in her publication while referring to “intelligentsia”. How come that three individuals filed a lawsuit against the journalist claiming that they had been insulted by the publication?”, — one of the lawyers said.

The European Union Delegation issues the following statement in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission in Tajikistan.

The EU Delegation to Tajikistan is concerned about the decision of the Firdausi District Court in Dushanbe against the Asia-Plus newspaper and its editor which might hamper the freedom of media in the country.

The EU Delegation calls on the Tajik authorities to respect and promote the freedom of expression, in line with Tajikistan’s international commitments and obligations.

The EU Delegation expresses its continued readiness to cooperate with the Government of Tajikistan to support the development of media freedom in Tajikistan.

          In Dushanbe on 27 February 2014

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) grants scholarships for international students seeking to pursue a graduate degree in Turkey. The scholarship covers fields of Natural Sciences, Engineering and Technological Sciences, Medical Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities. The program aims to promote Turkey’s scientific and technological collaboration with countries of the prospective students. Preference will be given to candidates who demonstrate the potential to contribute significantly to Turkey’s goal of international cooperation in scientific and technological development.

·         Read the advertisement carefully.
·         Prepare only the documents explained in the application. Be careful about the deadline.

·         The requirements explained are strict and any different condition is not accepted.

·

SUPPORTS FROM DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS
The fellow is obliged to notify BİDEB about any other financial support he/she gets from an institution other than TÜBİTAK within 15 days from the beginning of the support.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE EVALUATION RESULTS
The results are announced 3 months later, after the deadlines. There will not be announcement for the candidates not accepted.

The scholarship will consist of

·         A monthly stipend of 1.500 Turkish Liras (TL) for MSc/MA students

·         A monthly stipend of 1.800 Turkish Liras (TL) for PhD students

·         Tuition Fee (up to 2.000 Turkish Liras)

·         A monthly allowance for health insurance coverage for the award holder only.

·         Maximum duration for the scholarship is 2 years for the Masters and 4 years for the PhD program.

·         All scholarship awardees who successfully complete a Master’s program will be rewarded scholarship for a PhD program on the condition that they are admitted to a program at a Turkish University.

The scholarship is open to all students who want to undertake a graduate degree program in Turkey on the following conditions:

·         Applicants must be 30 years old or younger for the MSc/MA programs and 35 years old or younger for the PhD programs on the first day of the application period.

·         Applicants should be non-Turkish citizens. Applicants who hold dual citizenship with Turkey are not eligible to apply.

·         Applicants who hold a Bachelor’s degree or who are currently enrolled in their fourth year of college are eligible to apply for scholarship for the MSc/MA programs.

·         Applicants who are currently enrolled in an MSc/MA program in Turkey are also eligible for the scholarship on the condition that they have not yet completed their third semester in the program.

·         Applicants holding an MSc/MA degree or currently enrolled in a master’s program who intend to enroll in a PhD program in Turkey are eligible to apply for the scholarship.

·         Applicants who are currently enrolled in a PhD program in Turkey are also eligible to apply on the condition that they have not yet completed their six semester in the program.

Applicants who are medal winners at any branch of the International Science Olympiads will be given priority.

·         Application form (This form is filled electronically on the online application portal)

·         Copy of birth certificate or passport (pages of personal information)

·         Copy of Bachelor’s  and Master’s degree* (If any)

·         Copy of Undergraduate and Graduate transcripts* (If any)

·         A motivation letter (Statement of purpose)

·         Curriculum vitae

·         Two reference letters

·         Certificates of achievement (if any)

* The documents must be English or Turkish. Officially translated copy of the documents can be used in the application.

During the application, the original copies of required documents are not demanded. However, applicants who receive the scholarship must send the original copy of required documents in order to be able to use their scholarships.

Applications not fulfilling any eligibility criteria, lacking any of the required documents will not be processed.

Applications will be accepted twice a year. Application deadlines for 2014 are:

All applications must be submitted electronically via TÜBİTAK scholarship application portal, which can be found at http://e-bideb.tubitak.gov.tr. All accompanying required documents must also be uploaded electronically. In order to complete application process, applicants must approve their applications until 17.30 p.m. on the application deadline.

Applications are evaluated by peer review panel system by considering the application documents. The results are announced 2 months later after the deadline. There will not be announcement for the candidates not accepted.

For more information about the scholarship please follow the address:

TÜBİTAK-BİDEB 2215
Department of Scholarship Programs
Graduate Scholarship Programme for International Students

Programme Officer: Mustafa Eren TOPAL
Tunus Caddesi No: 80
06100, Kavaklıdere/ANKARA
Tel: +90 0 312 444 66 90
E-mail: bideb2215@tubitak.gov.tr

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

ALMATY, Kazakhstan — A Kazakh blogger has been sentenced to 15 days in jail on minor hooliganism charges. 

Dmitry Shchyolokov told RFE/RL by telephone that he was detained early on February 21 after arriving at a court building to support a colleague, fellow blogger Andrei Tsukanov.

Tsukanov was sentenced on the same day to 15 days in jail in a separate case.

Shchyolokov and two other bloggers — Rinat Kibraev and Nurali Aitelenov — had been held in custody for several hours on February 20 after the three announced their intention to attend an annual meeting between Almaty Mayor Akhmetzhan Esimov and city residents.

Earlier this month, the same three bloggers were arrested and sentenced to 10 days in jail for publicly protesting a decision barring them from attending a meeting between Esimov and Kazakhstani bloggers in Almaty.

http://www.rferl.org/content/kazakhstan-blogger-jailed-hooliganism/25272543.html

ALMATY, Kazakhstan — Three bloggers in Kazakhstan have been detained again after serving 10 days in jail on hooliganism charges. 

Rinat Kibraev, Nurali Aitelenov, and Dmitry Shchyolokov were detained on February 20 after they announced their intention to attend an annual meeting between Almaty Mayor Akhmetzhan Esimov and city residents.

Earlier this month, the three were arrested and sentenced to 10 days in jail for publicly protesting a decision to bar them from attending a meeting between Esimov and Kazakhstani bloggers in Almaty.

Also on February 20, a RFE/RL correspondent and several other people were not allowed to attend Esimov’s annual meeting with Almaty residents.

http://www.rferl.org/content/kazakhstan-bloggers-detained-esimov/25270699.html

REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS / РЕПОРТЕРЫ БЕЗ ГРАНИЦ / REPORTERS SANS FRONTIÈRES

Press release / Пресс релиз / Communiqué de presse

11.02.2014

WORLDWIDE PRESS FREEDOM INDEX 2014

Eastern Europe and Central Asia

AUTHORITARIAN REGIONAL MODELS

Behind Sochi Olympic showcase — Kremlin war on civil society
More than two decades after the Soviet Union’s implosion, the entire region still looks to Moscow, to which it is bound by strong cultural, economic and political ties. All the pomp of the inauguration of the Sochi Winter Olympics in February 2014 must not divert attention from the reality in Russia (148) of a trial of strength between an increasingly determined civil society and an increasingly repressive state.

Criticism of the regime is common since the major demonstrations of 2011 and 2012 but media self-censorship is far from disappearing. The federal TV stations continue to be controlled and, in response to the “return of politics in Russia,” the authorities have chose repression. Ever since Vladimir Putin returned to the Kremlin in May 2012, more and more draconian laws have been adopted. Activists, news media and bloggers have all been targeted. Defamation has been criminalized again, websites are being blacklisted and the range of activities that can be construed as “high treason” is now much broader. “Traditional values” are used to justify new restrictions on freedom of information, including the criminalization of “homosexual propaganda” and “insulting the feelings of believers.”

Journalists are being detained in connection with their work. In Sochi, freelance reporter Nikolai Yarst spent six months under house arrest and continues to face a trumped-up charge of drug possession. In Rostov-on-Don, the blogger Sergei Reznik and the journalist Alexander Tolmachev are being held on questionable charges. The Russian photographer Denis Sinyakov and the British videographer Kieron Bryan spent two months in provisional detention on charges of piracy and hooliganism for covering Greenpeace protests in the Arctic. Continuing impunity sustains a climate of violence, especially in the Caucasus. At least 33 journalists have been murdered in connection with their work in Russia since 2000.

Turkey at the crossroads
Thanks to its diplomatic and economic influence, Turkey (154) is establishing itself as a regional model of democracy, especially for governments that emerged from the Arab Spring. After ten years of rule by the moderate Islamist AKP, the army’s sway over politics and the media has ended and a number of taboos linked to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s heritage are crumbling. New red lines are nonetheless emerging to replace them.

Despite a few limited reforms, judicial practices continue to be repressive and the number of detained journalists is still at a level that is unprecedented since the end of the military regime. Around 60 journalists were in detention at the end of 2013, making Turkey one of the world’s biggest prisons for media personnel. Despite directives intended to limit use of provisional detention, journalists often spend months if not years in prison before being tried.

After the most violent fighting in a decade, hopes have been raised by the start of negotiations between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government and the Kurdish rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The authorities have promised democratic reforms. They are urgently needed. Most of the journalists in prison or being prosecuted are the victims of anti-terrorism legislation inherited from the dark years. A score of articles in the penal code complete this repressive legislative arsenal. Aside from legislative reform, a peaceful resolution of the Kurdish issue would allow some evolution in a judicial culture marked by paranoid and repressive reflexes.

The unprecedented protests of the summer of 2013 highlighted Turkish society’s thirst for freedom. It also drew attention to the lack of democratic culture within the police and the threat to pluralism from the growing concentration of media ownership in the hands for businessmen linked to the government. With 153 journalists injured and 39 detained, the media paid a high price for their coverage of the wave of anti-government demonstrations from May to September and the police use of force against protesters. Journalists were systematically targeted by the police and sometimes by demonstrators. The violence was sustained by a climate of hysteria fuelled by the speeches of government officials and pro-government media branding critical columnists, social network users and foreign reporters as agents of an international plot to overthrow the government or even as terrorists. The level of self-censorship was such that 24-hour TV news channels completely ignored the violent clashes rocking Istanbul. Recalcitrant journalists were sidelined. No fewer than 14 were fired and 22 resigned. Astronomical fines were imposed on those TV channels that covered the protests closely.

IMPUNITY FOR OIL AND GAS DESPOTS
The former Soviet republics that most violate freedom of information – Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan – are subjected to little pressure from the international community for the simple reason that they are rich in oil and gas deposits, and pipelines. Rich enough to feel untouchable, they are also wooed because of the strategic importance. So for the time being they keep their news media under tight control and jail recalcitrant journalists with complete impunity.
Despotic winters and crackdowns
After 20 years of the most absolute despotism, Turkmenistan (178) adopted a media law in January 2013 that proclaims pluralism and bans censorship. It is a complete fiction. President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov’s totalitarian regime still controls all the local media. Independent journalists can only operate clandestinely, reporting for news media based outside the country. This obviously involves risks. Annakurban Amanklychev and Sapardurdy Khadjiyev have just completed seven-year jail terms in appalling conditions. Arbitrary arrests are common. Turkmenistan continues to be ranked with North Korea and Eritrea at the bottom of the press freedom index.

Strict censorship also prevails in Uzbekistan (166), where no fewer than 10 journalists and netizens are currently detained. One was awarded the 2013 Reporters Without Borders press freedom prize. He is Muhammad Bekzhanov, a former editor of the newspaper Erk and champion of the fight for democracy, who has been held for nearly 15 years. Tortured and denied medical attention, he is in danger of dying in prison. Another is the freelance journalist Solidzhon Abdurakhmanov, held since 2008 for writing about the consequences of the Aral Sea ecological disaster. Not content with absolute control over the traditional media, the authorities have been taking care to refine their Internet censorship techniques in recent years.

Succession is a thorny issue for despots who have been in power for more than 20 years. Like his Uzbek counterpart, Islam Karimov, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has yet to designate a clear successor. Kazakhstan (161) has been stable since independence but, as appetites are whetted and threats to this stability manifest themselves, the regime’s paranoia and desire to control have grown. And freedom of information is in free fall. All the main national opposition news outlets were closed at the end of 2012 and start of 2013 and the most outspoken critics are being prosecuted or subjected to administrative harassment.

More repression is also the strategy being adopted in Azerbaijan (160), where the very survival of media pluralism is in danger. The TV stations are under government control, the main foreign radio stations are banned, and the main opposition newspaper barely circulates except in the capital and is on the verge of financial extinction. At the same time, recalcitrant journalists and bloggers are exposed to physical attacks, death threats, smear campaigns and abduction. Will the emergence of new alternative exile media save pluralism?

Despots with no oil or gas
Some post-Soviet states have decided they need no oil or gas to crack down on the media. In Belarus (157), independent journalists continue to fight on unequal terms against “Europe’s last dictatorship” and its propaganda. Those who cover street protests are routinely detained. The KGB and the judicial authorities often use “combatting extremism” as a pretext for silencing those who refuse to toe the official line. A book containing the winning photos of the 2011 Belarus Press Photo competition was banned in 2013 and one of the leading independent publishing houses was stripped of its licence. The magazine Arche and independent media based abroad such as Belsat TV are subjected to all sorts of administrative harassment.
INFORMATION THREATENED BY POLARIZATION

Leading quartet
The region’s four best-placed countries in this year’s index are the same as last year. Although their positions in the index are fairly dispersed, Moldova (56), Georgia (84), Armenia (78) and Kyrgyzstan (97) all enjoy a significant degree of pluralism and relatively little state censorship. But the considerable social polarization is reflected in the media and the climate for journalists, who are often harassed by pressure groups. Given that the political orientation of individual media usually coincides with that of their owners, it would seem that respect for the editorial independence of media employees is still limited.

The 2013 elections in Georgia and Armenia were calmer than previous ones. Violence against journalists was rare. Armenia’s state broadcaster has progressed as regards impartiality but the electoral environment exacerbated the ongoing information war in the privately-owned media – a war in which the authorities have a clear advantage. The change of government through the polls in Georgia was reflected in the media. Imedi, a TV station acquired by allies of former President Mikheil Saakashvili in 2007, was returned to the family of the original main shareholder shortly after the October 2012 elections. The justice system began investigating alleged fraudulent share transfers and money laundering involving the mayor of Tbilisi. After being elected prime minister, Bidzina Ivanishvili announced the closure of TV9, a privately-owned TV station which his wife had launched in 2012 and which had played a major role in propelling him to power. A new broadcasting law should limit the political in-fighting within Georgia’s state broadcaster that resulted in a wave of dismissals in 2013.
Ukraine and Tajikistan in limbo
Respect for the editorial independence of media employees seems to be equally limited in Ukraine (127), where changes of media ownership led to sudden changes in editorial policy, the introduction of new taboos and many dismissals. A draft law would make media ownership more transparent but its second reading in parliament has been delayed. The political crisis that began in December 2013 and the government’s sudden adoption of very repressive policies came after the period covered by this index but will clearly have an impact on Ukraine’s ranking next year.

The precursors of these policies were nonetheless clearly visible – growing concentration of leading media ownership in the hands of pro-government oligarchs, increasingly frequent violence against journalists that went unpunished, and attempts to intimidate independent journalists. By the end of 2013, there had already been significant erosion of the freedom of information won in the Orange Revolution.

In Tajikistan (115), coverage of the 2013 presidential election campaign was openly skewed in favour of the incumbent, Emomali Rakhmonov, who has ruled for more than 20 years. The arbitrary blocking of independent news websites has become common, even if it usually lasts just a few days. A new media law that took effect in March 2013 contained satisfactory provisions on paper but seems to have made no difference in practice so far.

CPJ’s annual assessment of press freedom worldwide

New York, February 12, 2014-Digital surveillance, the unchecked murder of journalists, and indirect commercial and political pressures on the media are three of the primary threats to press freedom highlighted in the Committee to Protect Journalists annual assessment, Attacks on the Press, released today.

«The primary battlegrounds for press freedom used to be contained within the borders of authoritarian states. While those battles continue, new technologies have made it possible to realize the right to freedom of expression regardless of frontiers,» said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. «Attacks on the Press describes the threats and explores strategies to safeguard the free flow information.»

Three pieces in this year’s Attacks, including a foreword to the print edition by Jacob Weisberg, analyze the damaging effects to press freedom caused by the U.S. mass surveillance programs. Governments’ capacity to store transactional data and the content of communications undermines journalists’ ability to protect sources. The scope of the NSA’s digital spying raises doubts about the U.S. commitment to freedom of expression and strengthens the hand of China and other restrictive nations in their calls for more government control over the Internet.

A separate essay in Attacks argues that the international community should put press freedom at the heart of a new anti-poverty strategy as the 2015 target nears for the U.N. Millennium Development Goals. Meanwhile, if transparency in the financial sector is not improved, more global financial crises can be expected.

Attacks also explores how the inability to solve journalist murders feeds an atmosphere of intimidation, compounded by the targeted killings of witnesses in many cases.

Along with the print edition of Attacks on the Press, CPJ published online a snapshot of conditions and data in close to 60 countries. Syria remained the most deadly place for journalists on the job in 2013, while Iraq and Egypt each saw a spike in fatal violence. In total 70 journalists lost their lives. For the second consecutive year, Turkey was the world’s leading jailer of journalists, followed closely by Iran and China.

Attacks on the Press was first published in 1986. The 2014 edition features analyses by CPJ and global experts on: Beijing’s influence on the Hong Kong and Taiwanese press; Syrian journalists’ striving to report, despite the dangers; the insistence on «positive news» in sub-Saharan Africa; finding the courage to cover sexual violence; Nelson Mandela’s legacy; and much more. CPJ’s Risk List highlights the 10 places where press freedom deteriorated the most in 2013.

Attacks also includes the late CPJ Mexico correspondent Mike O’Connor’s last piece for CPJ, «Gunmen Rule Neza and the Press on Outskirts of Mexico City.» O’Connor died suddenly in late December.

The print edition with foreword by Weisberg, chairman of the Slate Group and member of CPJ’s board of directors, is published by Bloomberg Press, an imprint of Wiley, and is available for purchase.

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CPJ is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide

Note to editors:

Attacks on the Press is available online in English and with regional sections in Arabic, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish. For social media CPJ suggests using the hashtag #AttacksOnPress.

Media contacts:

Magnus Ag
Advocacy & Communications Officer
Tel. +1.212.300.9029
E-mail: mag@cpj.org

Samantha Libby
Communications Associate
Tel: +1.212.300.9032
Email: slibby@cpj.org

Link: http://cpj.org/2014/02/attacks-on-the-press-in-2013.php

Media professionals worldwide can apply for a fellowship.

The fellowship program, sponsored by the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI), invites proposals from people who have innovative ideas to improve the practice or understanding of journalism.

Because of the current acute financial challenges to supporting quality journalism, RJI is particularly interested in ideas on how to connect citizens with news and advertising more efficiently, to grow revenues, to engage communities or to ensure that the industry is taking full advantage of new and emerging technologies.

RJI welcomes applications from individuals, inside and outside the media industries.

The institute offers residential, non-residential and institutional fellowships. Residential fellows spend eight months on the Missouri campus, taking advantage of the intellectual and technological resources of RJI and the University and interacting with Missouri faculty and students. These fellows receive a US$10,000 monthly stipend totaling US$80,000, plus a one-time US$10,000 housing allowance.

Non-residential fellowships are designed for employees of a news, technology or related company who have ideas they can develop while continuing in their jobs. These fellows receive a US$20,000 stipend for the year, paid in US$2,500 monthly installments.

The US$20,000 institutional fellowship stipend is paid to the company or institution and can be used to hire a freelancer or temporary contractor to fill in for an employee as needed or for other project needs.

The deadline is Feb. 15.

For more information, click here: http://rjionline.org/fellowship

ALMATY, Kazakhstan — The trial against an independent Kazakh newspaper has started in Almaty. 

«Pravdivaya gazeta» (The Truthful Newspaper) is charged with providing readers with false information about the exact number of its weekly copies, operating during a court-ruled suspension period, and for its failure to adequately address the violations.

The editors of the periodical, which is known for its harsh criticism of the Kazakh authorities, insist the charges are politically motivated.

The newspaper was established nine months ago and has gone through two three-month suspensions and two hefty fines since then.

Last year, the European Parliament adopted a resolution criticizing Astana for its failure to respect political, media, and religious freedoms.

http://www.rferl.org/content/kazakhstan-trial-newspaper/25259216.html