DUSHANBE, February 6, 2012, CA-NEWS (TJ) – The successes and achievements in the field of media freedom in Tajikistan over the past 5 years were episodic in nature, said the report of the National Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan (NANSMIT), published late last week.

«To achieve a consistent development and strengthen freedom of speech and media the country needs a system of approaches based on international standards,» said originator of the report, chairman of NANSMIT Nuriddin Karshibaev. In his opinion, it is important for government structures to gain an understanding of the role and purpose of the media in contemporary society.

«The main problem of freedom of speech and media in Tajikistan is associated with the imperfection of the legal framework for the media, its non-compliance with international norms and standards on freedom of expression. Moreover, the lack of a clear strategy for media development in the country, regardless of their form of ownership, the lack of a civilized market of media and lack of journalistic staff hinder the development of independent pluralistic media,» said Karshibaev.

Another problem is the lack of uniform application of laws in the sphere of media. Among the main reasons that stand on the way of development of online journalism in Tajikistan is the shortage and lack of necessary equipment, noted the author of the report. «The system of press distribution in the Republic of Tajikistan is working inefficiently, which is one of the reasons for the weak development of print media. The problem of licensing in the field of broadcasting also remains relevant. Not all applicants for licenses (there are about 20 of them) were given licenses by authorized state agency,» added Karshibaev.

The report was prepared with financial support of the Office of OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media. «The Office is not responsible for the content of the report. The opinions of the author do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Office,» said Karshibaev.

CA-News.tj

New York, February 2, 2012-The Kazakh security service, or KNB, must immediately cease intimidating Oksana Makushina, deputy editor of Golos Respubliki, and return reporting equipment confiscated today from the independent weekly, the Committee to Protect Journalists said.

For two consecutive days starting Wednesday, KNB agents have interrogated Makushina at their headquarters in Almaty in connection with a press conference Monday at which Makushina spoke in defense of Igor Vinyavsky, imprisoned editor of the independent weekly Vzglyad, she told CPJ. The agents told Makushina they were questioning her and other panelists from the press conference after an unnamed attendee filed a complaint alleging that extremist materials were distributed at the venue.

Makushina spoke at the press conference along with Vinyavsky’s wife, Lana Vinyavskaya, and lawyer Sergey Utkin. All three panelists disputed the legality of imprisoning Vinyavsky, who was detained as part of an ongoing crackdown by the KNB on critical media and opposition activists. The KNB claims that Vinyavsky authored a leaflet in April 2010 which it has branded anti-constitutional; Vinyavsky denies the allegations. Makushina and the other panelists distributed the leaflet at their press conference.

Makushina told CPJ that KNB agents interrogated her about the organizers of the press conference, reasons for her participation, the source of the leaflet, the charges against Vinyavsky, and who distributed the materials at the press conference. The agents, Makushina said, also interrogated her about her personal Skype account and how she uses it to contact her sources and colleagues.

Following her interrogation today, three KNB agents produced a warrant to search the newsroom and accompanied Makushina there, where they confiscated the weekly’s main printer and a personal laptop belonging to Golos Respubliki’s office manager, which were used to print the materials for the press conference.

«We call on the Kazakh security service to immediately stop harassing Oksana Makushina, return her newspaper’s equipment, and allow her and other independent journalists in Kazakhstan to do their work without fear of reprisal,» CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said. «We also continue to call for the release of Igor Vinyavsky, who was imprisoned on unfounded extremist charges last month.»

The leaflet, published by the regional press following Vinyavsky’s arrest, carries a photograph of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev with the caption: «Kyrgyzstan got rid of the robbing family of [ousted President Kurmanbek] Bakiyev. Enough tolerating, take [him] to the dumpster!» According to Makushina, there has been no court ruling establishing that the leaflet’s text constituted extremism.

Makushina said unnamed security agents called her Tuesday and asked her to come to the KNB headquarters for what they called «a conversation» the same day, but she insisted they send her a summons. The next day the agents called her around 3:30 pm and asked her to visit the KNB, saying she would be given a written summons at the agency. The document she was handed at the KNB did not contain any information on Makushina’s status, nor reasons for her requested visit to the agency, she told CPJ.

CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide

New York, February 2, 2012-The Kazakh security service, or KNB, must immediately cease intimidating Oksana Makushina, deputy editor of Golos Respubliki, and return reporting equipment confiscated today from the independent weekly, the Committee to Protect Journalists said.

For two consecutive days starting Wednesday, KNB agents have interrogated Makushina at their headquarters in Almaty in connection with a press conference Monday at which Makushina spoke in defense of Igor Vinyavsky, imprisoned editor of the independent weekly Vzglyad, she told CPJ. The agents told Makushina they were questioning her and other panelists from the press conference after an unnamed attendee filed a complaint alleging that extremist materials were distributed at the venue.

Makushina spoke at the press conference along with Vinyavsky’s wife, Lana Vinyavskaya, and lawyer Sergey Utkin. All three panelists disputed the legality of imprisoning Vinyavsky, who was detained as part of an ongoing crackdown by the KNB on critical media and opposition activists. The KNB claims that Vinyavsky authored a leaflet in April 2010 which it has branded anti-constitutional; Vinyavsky denies the allegations. Makushina and the other panelists distributed the leaflet at their press conference.

Makushina told CPJ that KNB agents interrogated her about the organizers of the press conference, reasons for her participation, the source of the leaflet, the charges against Vinyavsky, and who distributed the materials at the press conference. The agents, Makushina said, also interrogated her about her personal Skype account and how she uses it to contact her sources and colleagues.

Following her interrogation today, three KNB agents produced a warrant to search the newsroom and accompanied Makushina there, where they confiscated the weekly’s main printer and a personal laptop belonging to Golos Respubliki’s office manager, which were used to print the materials for the press conference.
«We call on the Kazakh security service to immediately stop harassing Oksana Makushina, return her newspaper’s equipment, and allow her and other independent journalists in Kazakhstan to do their work without fear of reprisal,» CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said. «We also continue to call for the release of Igor Vinyavsky, who was imprisoned on unfounded extremist charges last month.»

The leaflet, published by the regional press following Vinyavsky’s arrest, carries a photograph of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev with the caption: «Kyrgyzstan got rid of the robbing family of [ousted President Kurmanbek] Bakiyev. Enough tolerating, take [him] to the dumpster!» According to Makushina, there has been no court ruling establishing that the leaflet’s text constituted extremism.

Makushina said unnamed security agents called her Tuesday and asked her to come to the KNB headquarters for what they called «a conversation» the same day, but she insisted they send her a summons. The next day the agents called her around 3:30 pm and asked her to visit the KNB, saying she would be given a written summons at the agency. The document she was handed at the KNB did not contain any information on Makushina’s status, nor reasons for her requested visit to the agency, she told CPJ.

CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization
that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide.

Contact:
Nina Ognianova
Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator
Tel. +1.212.465.1004 ext. 106
Email: nognianova@cpj.org

Muzaffar Suleymanov
Europe and Central Asia Research Associate
Tel. +1.212.465.1004 ext. 101
Email: msuleymanov@cpj.org

eurasia@cpj.org

Washington — As the United States engages with the countries of Central Asia, encouraging greater regional economic integration, it is not facing a choice between advancing its security relationships and promoting issues like human rights, says the top U.S. diplomat to the region.

Speaking January 25 at the forum of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake acknowledged that the Obama administration is balancing competing priorities in the region, such as combating drug trafficking and terrorism while also promoting economic integration, human rights and good governance.

“We do not see our engagement with Central Asia as an either-or choice between developing security relationships at the expense of core values like human rights. Progress on one issue can help reinforce, or create incentives for, progress on other issues,” Blake said in his prepared remarks.

The U.S. effort to strengthen its relationships with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan “should not impinge upon our strong support for democratic development and universally recognized human rights,” he said.

In all five nations, the Obama administration’s engagement is consistently focused on “political liberalization, good governance, civil society capacity building and addressing human rights concerns,” as well as other interests such as nuclear nonproliferation, energy, economic development and educational exchanges, he said.

He added that U.S. officials are engaging not only with the governments in the region, but also with civil society groups and the people themselves through such avenues as the annual bilateral consultation process.

“These consultations are a face-to-face, structured dialogue based on a jointly developed agenda that promotes candid discussions on the full spectrum of bilateral issues, including human rights, religious freedom, science and technology collaboration, economic development, defense cooperation and other subjects either side would like to discuss,” Blake said.

The Obama administration sees its vision for transition in Afghanistan in 2014, when Afghans will assume full security responsibility for their country, as a working strategy that can be expanded for the broader region, he said. Blake said Central Asian support for Afghanistan’s economic and political development is very much in those countries’ own interests.

“A peaceful, stable, prosperous and democratic future for the Central Asian states is directly linked to the prospects for peace, stability, prosperity and democracy in Afghanistan,” he said.

The United States is promoting greater economic integration in the region and strongly supports the New Silk Road project, a long-term economic vision to transform Afghanistan into a hub of transport and trade, connecting markets in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia.

“Our hope is to encourage all of the countries of the region and beyond to help build a network of roads, bridges, pipelines and rail lines to facilitate the goal of embedding Afghanistan more firmly into its neighborhood and helping Afghanistan realize its goal of creating an economy based more on trade than aid,” Blake said.

“If Afghanistan is firmly integrated into the economic life of the region, it will be better able to attract private investment, continue to develop and benefit from its vast mineral resources and provide increasing economic opportunity for its people, men and women alike,” he said.

Along with the regional benefits from a stable, secure and prosperous Afghanistan, Blake said, Central Asia’s significant energy resources also offer “a motivating factor for regional economic development and integration.”

However, he said, intraregional trade has been “lagging” due to the need for Central Asian countries to overcome bilateral obstacles such as border crossings and tariffs, as well as internal problems like corruption, contradictory foreign investment rules and “a less-than-transparent and unpredictable regulatory environment.”

Blake said the Asian Development Bank-led Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation program (CAREC) offers an important regional coordination mechanism. The program “envisions a transformation of the region through transport corridors and energy infrastructure in order to sustain economic growth,” he said.

“We hope the Central Asian states will continue to work independently, through CAREC, through other institutional arrangements and with partners like the United States to reduce the barriers to trade and transportation so that greater regional economic integration will become a reality,” Blake said.

(This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/iipdigital-en/index.html)

Stephen Kaufman

Источник: http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/iipdigital-en/index.html

Documentary journalists can apply for a grant ranging from UK£5,000-50,000 (about US$7,847-US$78,472).

The Bertha BRITDOC Fund for Journalism is an international film fund dedicated to supporting long-form feature documentaries of a journalistic nature.

The fund seeks films that break stories, expose injustice and bring attention to unreported issues and cameras into regions previously unseen. Due to the investigative nature of long-form films, the fund seeks filmmakers with a journalistic background.

The fund supports in-depth research & development, production funding for longitudinal investigations, editorial support for long-form documentary structure, hostile environment training, emergency transportation and legal advice.

Funding is awarded on a rolling basis.

For more information, click here: http://britdoc.org/real_funds/documentary_journalism_fund/

http://ijnet.org/opportunities/documentary-fund-seeks-applications-worldwide

The Nieman-Berkman Fellowship in Journalism Innovation will bring one individual to Harvard University for the 2012-13 academic year to work on a specific course of research or a specific project relating to journalism innovation.

The fellowship is a collaboration between two parts of Harvard: the Nieman Foundation for Journalism and the Berkman Center for Internet & Society. Both share a set of common interests around journalism, innovation, and the evolution of the digital space. And both have longstanding fellowship programs that give people a year to learn and collaborate with others in the Harvard community.

The Nieman-Berkman Fellow will be a joint fellow between the two centers — a full Nieman Fellow and a full Berkman Fellow.

The Nieman-Berkman Candidate
Candidates will be asked to propose a specific course of study or project relating to journalism innovation. That proposal could deal with any issue relating to journalism’s digital transformation. Examples might include ideas for new revenue streams to fund journalism, the construction of new tools for reporting, or research into news consumption patterns. The candidate’s application must make it clear how his or her proposal will benefit the field.

The Nieman-Berkman Fellow will be able to draw upon the wealth of resources available at Harvard and in the surrounding area for his or her work. Along with the Nieman Foundation and the Berkman Center, Cambridge is home to institutions like the Harvard Business School, MIT’s Center for Civic Media, the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, the Shorenstein Center for Press, Politics and Public Policy, and others relating to journalism’s evolution.

Our goal is to identify a candidate who would benefit from the time and resources the fellowship provides, and whose work during the year at Harvard would benefit journalism more broadly.

Day-to-day Life of the Nieman-Berkman Fellow
The primary responsibility of the fellow will be to execute the proposal that earned him or her the fellowship.

In addition, the fellow will be expected to spend the year in residence in Cambridge and to be a full participant in both the Nieman and Berkman fellowship communities.

In terms of specific time commitments, that includes attendance at Nieman and Berkman events designed for the fellows, such as the weekly Berkman Fellows’ hour on Tuesdays and the Nieman Fellows’ seminar on Wednesdays. More broadly, it means engagement with both communities and serving as part of the bridge between them. We believe journalists and technologists have important things to teach one another, and the Nieman-Berkman Fellow will be part of that information sharing.

Finally, the Nieman-Berkman Fellow will be expected to share the results of his or her work with other fellows and through the Nieman Journalism Lab.

Eligibility
The Nieman-Berkman Fellowship is open to both United States citizens and citizens of other countries.

Candidates should either be working journalists or work for a news organization in a business, technology, or leadership capacity. Independent journalists are also welcome to apply.

The Nieman Foundation and the Berkman Center share a commitment to diversity and encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups.

Learn more about the requirements and stipulations for eligibility.

Financial Terms
The Nieman-Berkman Fellow will receive the standard Nieman Fellowship stipend from the Nieman Foundation, which is $60,000 over 10 months. Fellows receive additional allowances for housing, childcare, and health insurance, which differ in size depending on their family situation.

How to Apply
You apply through the Nieman Fellowship online application process.

The deadline for applications in Feb. 15, 2012.

Note that this deadline is later than the standard deadline for Nieman Fellowships, which is Jan. 31 for United States citizens. Americans are welcome to apply for both the standard Nieman Fellowship and the special Nieman-Berkman Fellowship.

Once submitted, your application will be evaluated by a joint Berkman and Nieman review team. Interviews with finalists will be held in the spring, and, if a satisfactory candidate is found, the winner will be notified in May.

For More Information
For questions about the application process, email Nieman fellowship administrator John Breen at john_breen@harvard.edu.

For questions about the fellowship itself, email Joshua Benton (Nieman) at joshua_benton@harvard.edu or Colin Maclay (Berkman) at cmaclay@cyber.law.harvard.edu.

http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/NiemanFoundation/NiemanFellowships/TypesOfFellowships/NiemanBerkmanFel

In January 2012, the Monitoring Service received 23 reports. Ten of them describe the factual situation in the media in the light of social, legal and political environment, and thirteen reports describe direct violations of rights of media professionals.

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

19 January
Emomali Rakhmon, President of Tajikistan, Dushanbe

The President of Tajikistan Emomali Rakhmon criticized the quality of state TV stations’ programs. He made rather sharp remarks at a government meeting convened on 19 January to discuss the issues of economic and social development in the country in 2012 and the tasks for 2012.

Rakhmon noted that instead of praising public officials, the state TV companies should pay more attention to existing problems in the country. He also advised the TV managers to restrain from self-advertisement. “No matter who you are – poets, writers, whatsoever… you serve your people; let others advertise you. It’s a shame to see how you promote yourselves! And it is shameful to see fulsome flattery and adulation”.

2. Actions of public officials defining the situation in the media

24 January
Head of administration, Khatlon province

Akbar Muslimov, editor of the Guliston newspaper in the city of Kurgan-Tube is acknowledged the best specialist in the media area in 2011. The province administration held a special competition to define best specialists of the year.

Chairman of Khatlon province Gaibullo Avzalov encouraged local journalists to work harder and not to be shy revealing and exposing the existing economic and social problems.

3. Journalists protecting their civil and professional rights

7 January
Journalists’ Club, Sughd province

On 7 January 2012, journalist of Sughd province discussed legal and ethical aspects of their professional activities. The meeting was organized by the Tajik National Association of Independent Mass Media.

Participants discussed particular cases of violation of legal and ethical standards. Nuriddin Karshibaev, chairman of NANSMIT said that it is necessary to make a clear distinction between the editorial policy and advertisement/commercial activities in the media – so that sponsored and PR articles would not have a negative impact on the image of journalists and their media.

Participants stressed the necessity of strengthening the legal and professional status of journalists, and the need to enhance relations with other sectors of the society.

The Club of Journalists in Sughd province is an independent social group guided by the principles of corporative solidarity. The Club is open for any printing or electronic medium as well as for any individual media professional.

4. Changes and amendments affecting the media legislation

4 January
Ozodagon weekly, Dushanbe

The Ozodagon weekly (#1, 4 January 2012) reported that the Ministry of Culture, following a request by the Tax Committee, sent letters to all newspapers asking them to reregister.

Legal and media experts say that the request of the Tax Committee is poorly motivated; some of them see this government move as an attempt to create artificial difficulties for the opposition media.

5. Factual situation in the media and the freedom of expression

11 January
Oriyono Media, Dushanbe

The Farazh weekly (#2, 11 January 2012) published an interview with the director of the Oriyono media holding and the founder of the Imruz News weekly Rustam Joni.

Despite all rumors, Rustam Joni says that te Imruz News has no affiliation to the Oriyon Bank. It should be noted that Joni is also the director of a popular FM station Imruz. The radio station has the full coverage of Tajikistan’s regions.

12 January
Asia Plus weekly, Dushanbe

The Asia Plus weekly (#3, 11 January 2012) published an article describing one evening spend at a TV set watching the local TV channels.

The author criticized the poor quality of broadcasting and the content of TV programs asking the following questions: “Why the Tajik TV professionals cannot produce creative, interactive and modern news about the real people and urgent problems? Why do they produce tendentious, senseless and foolish “stale news” in the old-fashioned style?”

The author comes to the conclusion that the political censorship along with glorification of the authorities, plus amateurism of newsmakers and cameramen lead to such state of things. “There is no original reports, no analysis, no experts’ opinions, no criticism of the government, no voice of the people. Instead, we have dull faces praising the President, farmers and sportsmen”.

18 January
Government media, Dushanbe

The Nigokh weekly (#4, 18 January 2012) published an article criticizing the government mass media for slipping over important events and developments, such as the recent attempt upon the life of the opposition journalist Dodojon Atovulloev and tragic accidents among Tajik labor migrants.

25 January
Farazh weekly, Dushanbe

On 25 January 2012, the private weekly Farazh published a list of organizations, which ignored articles criticizing them in 2011. The newspaper mentions 54 government agencies and institutions, which have breached the Resolution of the President #622 obliging them to provide feedback to the media on criticism and report about measures taken to correct the situation.

27 January
Reporters Without Borders

The international NGO Reporters Without Borders published the Freedom of Press Index Report in 2011-2012, where Tajikistan is rated 122-nd among 179 countries.

Tajikistan is placed between Algeria and Malaysia. In the previous RWB report Tajikistan was rated 115-th.

The recent report says that the Tajik authorities keep using the “scarecrow” of the civil war and radical Islamism to exert pressure on the independent media.

31 January
Human Rights Watch

The international NGO Human Rights Watch indicated in its annual report that the Tajik media experienced essential pressure in 2001.

Government officials kept applying to the court against certain printing media complaining about “defamation and libel” forcing the newspapers to keep silent.

HRW refers to the remarks of Reporters Without Borders saying that “the authorities try to control the media applying various tools, such as unofficial financial pressure, court litigations and frivolous arrests”.

According to the international monitoring NGO Article19, the new Tajik draft media law does not meet the international standards of the freedom of expression.

II. VIOLATION OF RIGHTS IN THE MEDIA

1. Attack on a journalist

12 January
Dodojon Atovulloev, independent journalist

On 12 January 2012, the Tajik journalist Dodojon Atovulloev was delivered to the hospital with serious knife wounds.

Atovulloev was attacked by an unknown assailant near an Italian restaurant. Referring to comments by the clinic’s doctors, the Tajik service of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty says that the wounds are quite serious, and the journalist has lost a lot of blood. However, Atovulloev’s life is not in danger; the first surgery has been successful.

Atovulloev, 56, is a Tajik journalist and founder of the opposition movement Vatandor (compatriot). He gained popularity criticizing the regime of President Rakhmon. At present, Atovulloev resides in Russia and Germany.

In 2011, the Tajik Prosecutor General initiated criminal proceedings against the journalist and required extradition of Atovulloev, but the Russian authorities did not satisfy the request.

On 13 January, the Tajik Union of Journalists, the National Association of Independent Mass Media and the Media Alliance of Tajikistan disseminated a joint statement condemning the attack upon Atovulloev.

A similar statement was issued by the Tajik Association of Persian-language Journalists. “The assault upon Atovulloev is seen as an infringement of the freedom of speech. The organization expects from both Russian and Tajik law enforcement agencies to conduct thorough investigation of the incident. It also notes that the assault upon a well-known journalist spoils the image of each country.

Muhammad Egamzod, the head of the Tajik media holding Tajinfo says that the attempt upon Atovulloev might have political reasons, since the journalist is an adversary of the Tajik authorities. Egamzod added that the authorities might be interested in arranging the attack against their enemy.

A representative of the Tajik Foreign Ministry told the media that the Tajik law enforcement agencies are interested in a fastest and efficient investigation of the case.

Major General Erkin Muhiddinov, a veteran of the Tajik law enforcement agencies told the Asia Plus weekly that the attempt upon Dodojon Atovulloev in Moscow is an act of hooliganism rather than an action of special services.

On 20 January, the Tajik Interior Minister Ramazan Rakhimov told journalists that his agency is ready to investigate the incident of Atovulloev is their Russian counterparts require assistance.

“Atovulloev’s speculations about the involvement of the Tajik government is nothing but his own opinion. Should he have any evidence, let him apply to our Ministry”, — said Rakhimov.

The Asia Plus weekly (#6, 23 January 2012) published an interview with Dodojon Atovulloev who shared some details of the recent incident in Moscow. The journalist states that the attempt upon his life was organized in such a way that it would look like a simple street conflict. He claims that the attack was ordered from Dushanbe/

2. Ungrounded limitation of access to information

4 January
All media

In January, ministers and heads of other government institutions will conduct press conferences to report to the media about their activities, achievements and failures in 2001.

In March 2005, the Tajik President issued a decree obliging heads of government agencies to conduct press conferences on a quarterly basis with the purpose of ensuring transparency and accountability. However, in September 2011, amendments were introduced to the document, according to which the officials must communicate with the media only once every six months.

According to the President’s Office, ministers and other high-ranking government officials have the right to conduct press conferences as frequently as they wish. In reality, government officials are usually reluctant to communicate with journalists.

Nuriddin Karshibaev, chairman of the Tajik National Association of Independent Mass Media noted that the amendments to the President’s Decree will have a negative impact on access to information.

On 11 January 2012, the correspondent of the Tajik service of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (Radio Ozodi) Mirzonabi Kholikzoda approache NANSMIT complaining abouth the quality of semi-annual press conferences.

In particular, the journalist noted that the Prosecutor General was absent at the recent press conference, and his deputies failed to answer essential questions.

At a press conference hold on 11 January 2012 in the northern city of Khujand, officials of the State Labor and Migration Service under the government also had troubles answering questions of journalists. Certain officials say that they are new in their positions and are unable to share this or that information; once in a while, they say that the data is “classified”, but they cannot justify their statements; others refer journalists to central offices in the capital.

According to observations of journalists and media watchdogs, heads of government agencies prefer to speak about the topics chosen by themselves; they do not answer topical questions thus demonstrating their professional incompetence.

3. Violation of circulation of a medium

12 January
Asia Plus weekly, Dushanbe

The Asia Plus weekly (#3, 11 January 2012) informs that somebody had bought the whole shipment of the new issue of the newspaper delivered from Dushanbe to the northern city of Khujand.

According to residents of Asht, could not buy the newspaper – allegedly because of an article describing the situation in that district and the conflict between the authorities and the opposition journalist Makhmadyusuf Ismoiov. A while ago, the journalist published a series of articles criticizing the local governors and revealing cases of corruption. Eventually he was sued and required to pay an amount of 50 thousand Somoni as a moral compensation for defamation.

The main characters in the recent article published by Asia Plus were the former governor of Asht province presently heading the district branch of the President’s People Democratic Party, and the former district prosecutor. Observers say that the newspapers were confiscated after the order from the incumbent district prosecutor.

The human rights situation in Tajikistan remains poor. The government persisted with enforcing a repressive law on religion and introduced new legislation further restricting religious expression and education. Authorities continued to restrict media freedoms and journalists—including BBC correspondent Urunboy Usmonov—were targeted for their work. Domestic violence against women remains a serious problem in Tajik society. The judiciary is neither independent nor effective.

In August President Emomali Rahmon signed a wide-ranging amnesty into law to mark the 20th anniversary of Tajikistan’s independence. Approximately 15,000 prisoners are reported to be covered under its terms, including alleged members of banned religious and political groups; several thousand prisoners are expected to be released in 2011.

Institutional Human Rights Reform
In May the Office of the Ombudsman presented its first human rights report since Zarif Alizoda, the president’s former legal adviser, was appointed ombudsman in May 2009. The report covers the office’s work from September 2009 to December 2010, and provides an overview of various human rights concerns in Tajikistan, including torture, freedom of speech, housing, and children’s rights. Some local human rights groups have criticized the office for lacking political will to effectively respond to human rights violations.

Criminal Justice and Torture
Torture remains an enduring problem within Tajikistan’s penitentiary system and is used to extract confessions from defendants, who are often denied access to family and legal counsel during initial detention. Despite discussions with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in August, authorities have not granted ICRC access to places of detention. With rare exceptions, human rights groups are also denied access.

While torture is practiced with near impunity, authorities took a few small steps to hold perpetrators accountable. In an unprecedented ruling in September two law enforcement officers were sentenced to eight years in prison (reduced to six years under amnesty) on charges of “deliberate infliction of bodily harm carelessly resulting in the death of a victim” and “abuse of powers,” after Ismoil Bachajonov, 31, died in police custody in Dushanbe, the capital, in January. A third officer was sentenced to three years in prison on charges of “negligence,” but was released under amnesty.

NGOs and local media also reported on the deaths of Safarali Sangov, 37, who was detained on March 1 on alleged drug-related charges and died in a hospital several days later, and of Bahromiddin Shodiev, 28, who was detained on October 14 and died in a hospital on October 30. Police claim that Sangov and Shodiev each tried to commit suicide at the police station, but their respective families insist that each died after sustaining injuries during beatings while in custody. In early November a Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesperson announced that there would be a “thorough investigation” into Shodiev’s death and that three officers had been dismissed. Following Sangov’s death two policemen were charged with “negligence.” Soon after the trial began in September the judge ordered that the case undergo further investigation.

In July Ilhom Ismanov and 52 other defendants were put on trial in Khujand for alleged membership in the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Amnesty International reported that during a pre-trial detention hearing on November 12, 2010, the judge ignored Ismanov’s testimony that he had been tortured, including with electric shocks and boiling water, and that other defendants have since made similar allegations of torture and ill-treatment in pre-trial detention.

Freedom of Media
The clampdown on Tajikistan’s media continued in 2011. Government officials continued to file debilitating defamation civil suits that seem aimed at muffling media. Reporters Without Borders said in February that Tajik authorities “are using a range of methods in an attempt to control the media, including informal and financial pressure, an increase in the number of defamation suits and arbitrary arrest.” According to media watchdog Article 19, a new draft mass media law needs further amendments before it complies with international standards on freedom of expression.

In January then-chief of the Sughd Regional Department of Fighting Organized Crime (UBOP) filed a lawsuit against the weekly Asia Plus for 1 million somoni (US$210,000) in moral damages, after a December 2010 article described alleged torture and ill-treatment by UBOP officers in the Sughd region. In April, authorities confiscated equipment from Paykon newspaper in connection with a 2010 libel suit. In May, after a Dushanbe court granted the Ministry of Justice’s petition to liquidate Paykon’s founding organization for alleged violations, printing houses refused to print the paper, forcing itto close.

In October Mukhamadyusuf Ismoilov, a journalist detained in the Sughd region on November 23, 2010, was convicted and fined 35,000 somoni ($7,300) on charges of inciting national, racial, local, or religious hostility; defamation; insult; and extortion. He was released under amnesty, but banned from journalism for three years. His colleagues believe his arrest and prosecution are retribution for his critical articles, including in Nuri Zindagi, an independent weekly in Dushanbe.

On February 7 Khikmatullo Saifullozoda, the editor of opposition Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan newspaper Nadjot, was beaten outside his home in Dushanbe by unidentified assailants and was hospitalized. The United States and European Union “strongly condemn[ed]” the attack. Authorities opened a criminal investigation but no one has been held accountable.

On June 13 veteran BBC journalist Usmonov was detained on charges of membership to the banned religious organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, but released on bail after an international outcry. Authorities persisted in prosecuting Usmonov on charges of complicity in the activities of a banned religious extremist organization, and on October 14 he was sentenced to three years in prison, but released under amnesty. At his trial, Usmonov testified that he had been tortured in pre-trial detention. He denied the charges against him, explaining that his contact with the group was part of his work.

Freedom of Religion
Tajik authorities further tightened restrictions on religious freedoms, and pursuant to newly adopted legislation, the government now extends far reaching controls over religious education and worship. According to a June statement by Forum 18, authorities continue “to try to suppress unregistered Muslim education throughout the country” and “have brought administrative charges against at least fifteen Muslim teachers in three different regions.” Authorities have also closed unregistered mosques.

On August 2 President Rahmon signed the highly controversial Parental Responsibility Law, stipulating that parents must prevent their children from participating in religious activity, except for state-sanctioned religious education, until they reach 18-years-old. Human rights groups, religious groups, and international bodies criticized the adoption of the law. In June the government passed amendments to the already restrictive 2009 religion law requiring students who wish to study at religious institutions abroad to first obtain state permission.

Under the pretext of combating extremist threats, Tajikistan continues to ban several peaceful minority Muslim groups. Christian minority denominations, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, are similarly banned. Local media continued to report on prosecutions of alleged members of Hizb ut-Tahrir and the Jamaat Tabligh movement.

Women’s Rights
Women and girls in Tajikistan continue to face gender-based discrimination and domestic violence; violence in the home impacts women and children alike. On July 28 the United Nations Women Office in Tajikistan hosted National Public Hearings with various stakeholders on the draft law on domestic violence, which has been under discussion for many years. At the hearing, participants raised concerns about the growing number of domestic violence cases in Tajikistan, and stated their plan to submit recommendations to further strengthen the law, according to news reports.

Key International Actors
The UN Human Rights Council’s first Universal Periodic Review of Tajikistan took place in October and resulted in a number of key recommendations.

Tajikistan committed to combat domestic violence, prevent abusive child labor, bring the definition of torture in line with the Convention Against Torture, and prevent and investigate alleged cases of torture. However, Tajikistan rejected key recommendations on religious freedom, such as revising the new Parental Responsibility Law, and left those related to media freedom pending until March 2012.

During a European tour in June, President Rahmon met with EU officials to discuss investment and bilateral cooperation in key areas including energy and security. Human rights concerns were featured in some of the meetings, including with Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland and then-chairwoman of the European Parliament’s Human Rights Subcommittee Heidi Hautala.
The EU held human rights dialogues with Tajikistan in February and October, but per established practice, did not make public any concrete results yielding from these exchanges, stating only that it had discussed human rights developments and recommendations on the right to a fair trial, judicial independence, and women’s rights. A July civil society seminar organized by the EU in Dushanbe focused on labor migrants’ rights and resulted in recommendations submitted to the Tajik government.

The US held its second Annual Bilateral Consultations with Tajikistan in April. According to a US embassy statement, Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake raised human rights and freedom of media concerns during a meeting with President Rahmon, and met with representatives of political parties and civil society. The US made a number of critical statements on media and religious freedoms in Tajikistan over the year, including by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during an October visit to Dushanbe. On March 3, US Ambassador to the OSCE Ian Kelly identified Tajikistan as a government that “cite[s] concerns about political security as a basis to repress peaceful religious practice.”

http://www.hrw.org/world-report-2012/world-report-2012-tajikistan

New York, January 25, 2012-The Committee to Protect Journalists is outraged by the politically motivated additional sentence handed to Muhammad Bekjanov, the jailed editor of now-defunct opposition newspaper Erk, who has been in prison in Uzbekistan since 1999 on trumped-up charges.

On Tuesday, just days before Bekjanov was due to be released, a district court in the southwestern city of Kasan sentenced him to an additional five-year term after charging him with breaking unspecified prison rules. Bekjanov denied the charges and planned to appeal, news reports said. The journalist was imprisoned in 1999 in a strict-regime penal colony in Kasan on charges that included distributing and publishing Erk, a banned newspaper, news reports said.

Bekjanov is one of two journalists who have been jailed longer than any other reporter worldwide, according to CPJ research. The other is Yusuf Ruzimuradov, Bekjanov’s colleague at Erk, who was given a 15-year prison term in 1999.

Both journalists were tortured before their 1999 trial began and were jailed in high-security penal colonies for individuals convicted of serious crimes, CPJ research shows. In a 2003 interview at a prison hospital where he was being treated for tuberculosis, Bekjanov described being beaten and tortured while in prison. He suffered a broken leg and hearing loss as a result, international news reports said.

«This is a blatantly politicized new prison term levied against Muhammad Bekjanov, who should not have served even a single day in prison,» CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said. «We are appalled by reports of Bekjanov’s torture and demand that authorities bring to justice those responsible for his abuse in custody and also release him without delay.»
At a January 18 hearing held at the penal colony, Bekjanov’s three cell mates testified against him, accusing the journalist of violating a prison order after he argued with them, news reports said. However, Uznews reported that the inmates appeared nervous in the courtroom, which led the journalist’s lawyer to believe they had been forced to testify against him.

«The authoritarian government of Islam Karimov holds the disgraceful record of one of the top journalist jailers in Eurasia,» Ognianova said. «If Uzbekistan is to rejoin the international community, authorities must release all the journalists they are currently holding in retaliation for their work.»

In 2006, Bekjanov’s wife, Nina Bekjanova, visited him in prison, and told independent news website Uznews that the journalist had lost most of his teeth due to repeated beatings in custody. Exiled Uzbek journalists and local human rights workers told CPJ they had been unable to obtain information about his condition since. CPJ has also been unable to obtain information from Uzbek authorities on the journalist’s condition.

CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization
that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide.

Contact:
Nina Ognianova
Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator
Tel. +1.212.465.1004 ext. 106
Email: nognianova@cpj.org

Muzaffar Suleymanov
Europe and Central Asia Research Associate
Tel. +1.212.465.1004 ext. 101
Email: msuleymanov@cpj.org

Committee to Protect Journalists
330 7th Avenue, 11th Floor, New York, New York, 10001, United States

REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS

2011-2012 PRESS FREEDOM INDEX

Online:

Europe: http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2011-2012,1043.html

Global: http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2011-2012,1043.html

Read in English:
Europe & Central Asia: http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2011-2012,1043.html
World: http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2011-2012,1043.html

http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2011-2012,1043.html