DUSHANBE – Tajikistan’s Association of Internet Service Providers says the cost of accessing the Internet in the Central Asian country is set to increase by four percent starting July 1.

According to the independent group, the price hike is being implemented in the wake of a Dushanbe court’s order that Internet service providers follow tax rules introduced in 2011.

Last year, Tajikistan’s state tax committee raised duties for Internet service providers by three percent.

The providers, however, refused to accept the increase, calling it «illegal.»

The association said the court on June 4 ordered the providers to pay all overdue taxes accumulated since the new tax rules were announced.

The group said the increased tariff was likely to have a negative impact on the development of the Internet sector in the impoverished nation.

http://www.rferl.org/content/cost-of-tajik-internet-access-going-up-by-four-percent/24605434.html

Dushanbe, Tajikistan, June 6, 2012 — On June 5, 2012, Senior Law Enforcement Advisor Dennis Cosgrove from the U.S. Embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Office (INL) and First Deputy Director General Vaisiddin Azamatov from the Drug Control Agency (DCA) under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan officially opened a two-day roundtable event for Press Center representatives from local law enforcement agencies and members of the press.

The roundtable at the DCA Headquarters in Dushanbe provided a unique opportunity for law enforcement press center staff to meet their media counterparts to discuss issues relating to the delivery of breaking news, the organization of press conferences, the handling of crisis communications, and the use of social media. The roundtable also served as a refresher course for participants of last year’s Public and Media Relations course organized by INL and conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Office of Public Affairs representatives.

During the roundtable, U.S. Ambassador Ken Gross was interviewed as part of a role play scenario to demonstrate techniques for interviewing senior government officials in a “one-on-one” unrehearsed and informal setting. The interview was recorded at the new DCA mini-studio and participants had the opportunity to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the scenario.

The event concluded a two-week visit of the FBI Office of Public Relations Special Assistant to the Assistant Director who was embedded at the DCA and worked closely with the DCA Press Center. To assist the DCA Press Center in keeping the public informed about their work and achievements, INL donated office equipment on the DCA’s 13th Anniversary ceremony on June 1, 2012. INL has invited a second FBI Office of Public Affairs Supervisory Special Agent to work at the Ministry of Internal Affairs Press Center for the next two weeks (June 6-18, 2012) in a program similar to the FBI – DCA Press Office embedding project.

The U.S. Government is committed to supporting Tajikistan’s law enforcement agencies and justice sector institutions and will continue to collaborate with the Government of Tajikistan to ensure safety and security for all citizens. Since 2003, the U.S. Embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement program has provided more than $52 million to support security and justice reform programs for the people of Tajikistan.

http://dushanbe.usembassy.gov/

While cloned websites are nothing new in Uzbekistan, the latest attempt to set up a local social network in the Central Asian country pulls out all the stops. Youface.uz’s resemblance to Facebook is hard to overlook, and it doesn’t stop with the welcome page.

The site’s founder, who gave his name as Ayub Abdulloh in an Internet chat with RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service, admits that at «first glance» his new website may look like the world’s biggest social-networking site, but this is just to help it gather new members, and as his site gets more users, «this will be changed.»

Launched on May 21, Youface has just 300 members so far (no word on how many of them are New York comedians). But Abdulloh, who gives his age as 22 and didn’t want to give an interview, has high hopes for his website.

Abdulloh says that Youface is intended to «develop the patriotic spirit in our youth.» He also says the network is intended to promote the Internet among young Uzbeks and the «concept of finding information on the Internet.»

However, when RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service attempted to post material from its website, it was promptly deleted.

While Uzbekistan blocks the websites of many foreign and independent news sources (the BBC, RFE/RL’s Uzbek site, among many), for the most part social networks are permitted, with the exceptions of the Russian blogging platform LiveJournal and Wikipedia, of all things.

In fact, the state telecom monopoly even makes access to the Russian-based social network Odnoklassniki free for mobile-phone users. Odnoklassniki recently added Uzbek as its second available language for translation after Ukrainian.

But after the role social media played in the Arab Spring, as well as in organizing opposition protests in Belarus and Russia, «social media» has become something of a dirty word in the Uzbek state media. Many wonder if the day isn’t coming when foreign social networks will be blocked and local sites might be the only option for Uzbekistan’s Internet users, whose numbers have surged in recent years to almost 8 million out of a population of 28 million.

It’s likely no coincidence that Youface’s Abdulloh makes pains to promote his new social network as «clean» in addition to «patriotic.» It may not be Iran or China just yet, but betting on a more restricted future for Internet users in Uzbekistan is hardly a risky undertaking.

http://www.rferl.org/content/newest-uzbek-social-network-looks-like-facebook/24599461.html

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbaev has condemned online social networks and information technologies for what he describes as “spreading lies and propagating violence and evil.”

Speaking at the Fourth Congress of the World’s Traditional Religions in Astana, Nazarbaev said that “instead of distributing real knowledge, social networks often pour floods of lies, split societies, and create walls within countries.”

The president proposed the creation of an online portal that could help people get involved in the work of the world’s traditional religions.

In April, speaking to the Russian television channel Rossia-24, Nazarbaev criticized Western countries for “pushing their values to other countries via social networks and information technologies.”

He blamed social networks for triggering the Arab Spring movement and pushing Arab nations back 15 years economically.

http://www.rferl.org/content/kazakhstan-nazarbaev-social-networks-lies/24597621.html

DUSHANBE — Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament has passed a draft law decriminalizing libel.

The proposed legislation, proposed in March by President Emomali Rahmon, removes libel and insult from the Criminal Code and places it under the bailiwick of administrative law.

That means journalists accused of libel would face an administrative court rather than criminal prosecution. Administrative courts could issue fines for a libel conviction but not a prison sentence.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) welcomed the decision. The OSCE’s representative on freedom of the media, Dunja Mijatovic, expressed hope that all remaining criminal provisions related to defamation would eventually be abolished.

The draft law must be approved by the upper chamber of parliament and signed by the president.

Under the existing legal code, Tajik journalists face the possibility of several years in jail for a libel conviction.

The new draft legislation would not alter a criminal law calling for up to five years in prison for those who libel or insult the president.

http://www.rferl.org/content/tajikistan-lower-house-passes-bill-to-decriminalize-libel/24599087.html

BISHKEK — The owner of the pro-opposition «Maidan.kz» newspaper in Kyrgyzstan has been arrested.

Interior Ministry officials told RFE/RL that Nurgazy Anarkulov was detained in Bishkek on May 30 in connection with a lawsuit filed against him by a local citizen.

No further details about the case were given.

The chief editor of «Maidan.kz,» Gulzada Turdalieva, has confirmed that Anarkulov was detained.

She said officials have not yet provided his relatives and colleagues with details about the reasons for his arrest.

According to Turdalieva, the newspaper has recently published several articles critical of President Almazbek Atambaev and other officials. But it was not immediately clear if there was any link between those pieces and Anarkulov’s arrest.

Kyrgyzstan is generally considered by human rights groups to have freer media than other autocratic Central Asian countries.

http://www.rferl.org/content/owner-of-kyrgyz-opposition-newspaper-website-maidan-arrested/24599048.h

In May 2012, the Monitoring Service received 25 reports. Fourteen of them describe the factual situation in the media in the light of social, legal and political environment; eight reports describe direct violations of rights of media professionals; and three 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

3 May
All media

On 3 May, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the UNESCE Secretary General Irina Bokova issued a joint statement on the occasion of the International Press Day.

The main message in this statement is that “Freedom of expression is one of our most precious rights. It underpins every other freedom and provides a foundation for human dignity. Free, pluralistic and independent media is essential for its exercise”.

“Media freedom entails the freedom to hold opinions and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers, as stated in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This freedom is essential for healthy and vibrant societies”, — the statement says.

The full text of the document is available at: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002160/216003e.pdf

31 May
The Parliament of Tajikistan, Dushanbe

On 31 May, deputies of the Tajik Parliament’s lower chamber unanimously supported the initiative of the President Emomali Rakhmon on abolishing Articles 135 and 136 (libel and insult respectively) of the Tajik Criminal Code.

Makhmadali Vatanov, head of the legislation and human rights committee under the Parliament said that “decriminalization of the articles in question will be for the benefit of the freedom of speech and democracy”.

2. Factual situation in the media and freedom of speech

2 May
Freedom House, US-based NGO

Tajikistan is rated 171-st among the 197 countries in the Freedom of Press rating of the US-based NGO Freedom House.

According to the latest report issued by the organization, Russia and Azerbaijan are sharing the 172-nd position; Kazakhstan is rated 175-th, Belarus is 193-rd. Among the CIS countries, the lowest position belongs to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan (195 and 196 respectively).

Freedom House conducted assessment in 197 countries around the globe; 66 countries are acknowledged as “fully free for the media”; 72 countries are seen as “partially free”; and 59 countries are non-free.

2 May
All media

The Tajik weekly Nigokh (#16, 2 May 2012) has published an article “Freedom and money” presenting an analysis of the financial environment of the Tajik printing media and the radio. The author states that the domestic media are financed by the government or by their founders. For example, the government newspaper Jumkhuriyat is published thrice a week (31 thousand copies). The so-called “independent” (private) newspapers are published mainly once a week; they keep afloat mainly due to advertisement and financial support from their founders.

The author also says that private newspapers are more popular and objective. The official government outlets publish mainly resolutions adopted by the President, the government and the Parliament, and eulogistic articles praising high-ranking officials.

The author comes to the conclusion that the government should seriously think about the information security and support the independent media.

28 May
Amnesty International

The international organization Amnesty International in its report on the situation in Tajikistan says that 2011, the government kept suppressing the independent mass media, it did not impede the spread of violence against women and did not support victims of violence.

The organization also observed the legal cases of Urunboi Usmanov, the BBC correspondent and Makhmadyusuf Ismoilov, correspondent of the Nuri Zindagi weekly. Usmanov was accused of collaboration with the extremist organization Hizb-ut-Tahrir, and Ismoilov spent many months in detention for “defaming” a public official.

Due to the interference and support of foreign human rights watchdogs and local media organizations, both journalists were released.

3. Journalists protecting their civil and professional rights

3 May
All media, Dushanbe

The Open Society Institute and the OSCE office on Dushanbe organized a conference in Tajikistan “Independent media: problems and potential solutions”. The conference was dedicated to the International Free Press Day.

Participants of the conference discussed a number of topical issues, such as the need of decriminalization of particular articles in the Tajik criminal code impeding the development of the mass media, the new draft law on the media, transition to digital broadcasting, etc.

16 May
The Nigokh weekly, Dushanbe

The Nigokh weekly (#8, 16 May) published the text of recommendations developed by Tajik media organizations at the national conference on the occasion of the International Free Press Day.

In their recommendations, media professionals supported the initiative of the President Emomali Rakhmon on decriminalization of Articles 135 and 136 of the Tajik Criminal Code. The media organizations also propose for the government to consider adopting particular incentives for the media.

18 May
The Tajik Media Council, Dushanbe

The Tajik Media Council presented its proposals to the government targeted to strengthening the freedom of speech. Khilvatshokhi Makhmud, Secretary General of the Media Council, told Radio Ozodi (Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty) that the recommendations presented to the government were jointly developed at the recent conference involving independent experts, representatives of the government and media professionals.

Mr. Makhmud also said that the list consisting of twelve proposals was also sent to the ministries of justice and culture, to the Justice Council, the TV and Radio Committee under the government and to the state communications service.

26 May
All media, Dushanbe

The Tajik National Association of Independent Mass Media conducted a training session on the topic “Free access to information for printing media editors in Central Asia”. The event was supported by UNESCO and the Kazakh human rights organization Adil-Soz.

Participants learned about methodologies and mechanisms of access to information.

25 May
Reporters Without Borders, Paris, France

A young journalist Daler Sharipov who works for TV Safina received financial assistance in the amount of $300 for medical treatment.

On 25 May, chairman of NANSMIT Nuriddin Karshiboev handed over the money to the young journalist, a victim of unknown assailants who attacked him earlier this month.

“The young journalist has suffered for his civil principles and professional activities”, — said Nuriddin Larshiboev.

II. VIOLATIONS OF RIGHTS IN THE MEDIA

1. Impediments to professional activities

18 May
TV & Radio Company Asia and TV and Radio Company Jahonoro, Khujand, Sughd province

Two Tajik TV companies filed a joint lawsuit against the international airport in the city of Khujand.

According to the lawyer Mukhabbat Juraeva who represents the broadcasting companies, the airport security officers are accused of violation of the constitutional right – namely, the access to information.

ON 4 March 2012, TV journalists were trying to learn about the reasons for delay of a plane. Security officers were rude, impolite and aggressive.

The complainants are seeking 100 thousand Somoni (about $23 thousand) in damages; besides that, they demand public apologies from the Khujand airport administration.

31 May
Ozoda Rakhmonova, deputy foreign minister, Dushanbe

On 25 2. Attack on a journalist

10 May
Daler Sharifov, TV Safina, Dushanbe

On 8 May, the journalist of TV Safina Daler Sharifov was attacked by unknown assailants. According to the journalists relatives, Daler and his friend went to a food store; several young men attacked them; and Daler regained consciousness in a hospital.

According to the law enforcement agency, one of the suspects is arrested, and Daler’s friend identified him. The Asia Plus news agency correspondents tried to receive comments from the Interior Ministry’s press service, but the attempt proved to be vain.

Daler’s relatives and friends say that the journalists was receiving phone calls and SMS messages with threats from anonymous individuals who insisted on having a meeting.

Daler Sharipov is a student at the Tajik National University, journalism faculty,. He also host a program Muoshirat at the state Safina TV channel. Besides that, he is the founder of an unregistered public movement Kadam Ba Kadam (step by step), which main goal is to fight corruption and nepotism.

16 May
Millat weekly, Dushanbe

The Millat weekly (#20, 16 May 2012) published an article about three cases of attacks against Tajik journalists, which took place in a very short period of time. The journalists who were beaten by unknown assailants are Daler Sharifov, correspondent of TV Safina, Ravshan Yormakhmadov, a member of the Tajik Union of Journalists and Salim Shamsiddinov, chairman of the Uzbek Ethnic Society in Khatlon province.

According to Millat, all these cases are planned actions targeted against journalists to intimidate them.

23 May
All media, Dushanbe

The Tajik media organizations express concern over the recent attacks against journalists. On 23 May, the Tajik Union of Journalist, the National Association of Independent Media, the Tajik Media Alliance, the Media Council, the Tajik Memorial Fund for Journalists and the public union “Journalist” issued a joint statement.

“Early in May, the media reported about three attacks against journalists and writers: Daler Sharifov, correspondent of TV Safina, Salim Shamsiddinov, chairman of the Uzbek Ethnic Society in Khatlon province and Ravshan Yormakhmadov, a member of the Tajik Union of Journalists”.

The Tajik media organizations called on the law enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough investigation, find the criminals and inform the public about the results.

3. Accusation of libel

31 May
Asia Plus weekly, Dushanbe

Head of the Renaissance Capital company Ismoil Rajabov filed a lawsuit against Khairullo Mirsaidov, the correspondent of the Asia Plus weekly and against Khairullo Khusainov, the representative of the Iranian company Vitana.

According to Rajabov’s lawyer, his client demands to bring the journalist and the entrepreneur to criminal responsibility on Article 135. part 3 (libel and accusation of committing grave crimes).

On 23 December 2010 and on 24 April 2012, the Asia Plus weekly published the articles “Relatives of honorable people” and “Relatives of honorable people — II”, where the head of Renaissance Capital is accused of racketeering and fraudulent appropriation of assets belonging to the Vitana Company.

On 27 December 2011 (long before the publication of the second article), the court dropped the charges against Ismoil Rajabov on three Articles of the Tajik Criminal Code – 246 (misappropriation of a loan), 268 (illegal use of funds), and 340 (document forgery).

In April, Asia Plus published another article saying that the Prosecutor General’s Office is going to launch another investigation into the case.

Khairullo Mirsaidov, the author of the articles says that he is ready to face the trial since his publications contain no libel. “I used the data received at a press conference held in December 2010 by the Iranian company and by the Iranian Embassy in Dushanbe”, — he said.

III. CONFLICTS, VIOLATIONS AND ALLEGED CRIMES

1. Protection of honor, dignity and business reputation

17 May
The Sino district court, Dushanbe

The Millat weekly (#20, 16 May 2012) reported that the judge of the Sino district court in Dushanbe sent a response to the article published on 18 April. The author of the article criticized the Tajik courts and judicial proceedings.

The judge required official apologies from the author Sadriddin Yorov; otherwise, the judge promised to file a lawsuit against the journalist and the newspaper on behalf of the judicial bodies.

MOSCOW – Moscow police say an investigation has been launched into the stabbing of a journalist who works for the Ekho Moskvy and Mayak radio station.

Reports say remarks the reporter made about Islam may have been a motive for the attack.

Hospital officials said journalist Sergei Aslanian sustained stab wounds late on May 28 when an unknown assailant attacked him with a knife after he was called to the front door of his apartment building.

Aslanian underwent surgery and doctors say his life is not in danger. Aslanian has told friends his attacker shouted: «You do not like Allah!»

Aslanian’s colleagues say he recently expressed some personal opinions regarding Islam on one of his programs.

The mufti of Moscow and central Russia, Albir Krganov, has condemned the violence against the reporter.

With reporting by Interfax and ITAR-TASS

http://www.rferl.org/content/journalist-stabbed-in-moscow/24596408.html

The Dart Center invites midcareer journalists to apply for the 2012 Ochberg Fellowship Program. For the first time the Fellowship is truly global, welcoming applications from midcareer journalists worldwide.

The Dart Center invites applictions for the 2012 Dart Center Ochberg Fellowships — a unique seminar program for journalists worldwide who want to deepen their knowledge of emotional trauma and psychological injury, and improve coverage of violence, conflict and tragedy.

Reporting responsibly and credibly on street crime and family violence, natural disasters and accidents, war and genocide is a great challenge. Since 1999 the Dart Center has offered the annual Ochberg Fellowships to outstanding midcareer journalists in all media interesting in exploring such critical issues.

The 2012 Ochberg Fellowship Program will be truly global, welcoming applications from Africa, the Mideast, and Asia along with North America, Australia and the Pacific, Latin America and Europe.

This year’s Ochberg Fellowship Program will begin Monday, October 22 and conclude Friday, October 26, 2012. Fellows attend an intensive weeklong program of seminars and discussions held at Columbia University in New York City. Program activities include background briefings by prominent interdisciplinary experts; conversations with journalist colleagues; and a host of other opportunities for intellectual engagement and peer learning.

The application deadline is July 20, 2012.

For more details on the Ochberg Fellowship program or apply, go to the Ochberg Fellowships Guidelines page.

IWPR

The Embassy of the United States of America is now accepting applications for the 2012 Alumni Grants Program. Alumni of all U.S. Government-funded exchange and training programs, including FLEX, UGRAD, Muskie, the International Visitor Leadership Program, Community Connections, Open World, USDA Cochran and FEP exchanges, Department of Commerce SABIT exchanges, and those of other implementers are eligible.

USG alumni must be registered on the State Alumni website to participate in 2012 Alumni Grants Program. You can easily and quickly register yourself at https://alumni.state.gov.

The purpose of the program is to provide grants to organizations that have USG alumni as members or to individual alumni for activities that support democratic advancement and economic reform in Tajikistan. The program aims to provide alumni with networking opportunities; to further the professional development of alumni and their colleagues and to assist alumni in implementing and disseminating the concepts learned during exchange programs. The amount of grants must not exceed $5,000 for organizations and $3,000 for individuals.
Funds may be used for the following:
· To initiate a public or community service program;
· To provide support for alumni association events;
· To organize training programs or conferences for professional colleagues and/or other alumni;
· To provide continued funding for existing alumni centers, and minimal start-up costs for alumni associations;
· To organize and plan networking events;
· To develop and publish curricula, textbooks, or related reference or educational materials;
· To publish public information pamphlets or brochures on topics that further USG assistance goals;
· To conduct other projects that support democratic and economic reform initiatives.

Projects NOT funded by the Alumni Program include those requested by non-USG alumni organizations and individuals, those relating to partisan political activity, charitable activity and/or humanitarian aid, fund-raising campaigns, commercial projects and those that duplicate existing projects. Grant proposals for international travel by alumni must include a substantial cost share and explain how the proposed travel will benefit the wider community.

Proposals must be received no later than June 15, 2012. Proposals should contain clearly formulated goals and target groups, and show the ability of the applying organization/individual to carry out the project aims. Proposals and SF form 424 attached separately should be submitted in English.

U.S. Embassy, Public Affairs Section
109 A Ismoili Somoni Avenue, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Email: alumnitajikistan@state.gov

Application forms are available on our web site http://dushanbe.usembassy.gov/alumnigrants.html or can be requested by email. Please use the e-mail above for any questions.

http://dushanbe.usembassy.gov/alumnigrants.html