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.