The current regime has not brought prosperity to the Tajiks, but stability has guaranteed its longevity.

Emomali Rakhmon, the leader of Tajikistan, the poorest of the former Soviet Republics, won yet another seven-year term last November. That was not a surprise for anyone.

Rakhmon came to power in 1992 as the leader of the popular front countering the Islamist opposition. Legitimately, he became the president in 1994. In 1999, he won for the second time and then again in 2003 and 2006. Before each election he would conveniently clear the electoral field of any serious opponents.

The question going forward then is: What are the factors which make Rakhmon the Tajiks’ only political choice?

Repressive measures are not the only explanation for the survival of his presidency. Despite the economic and social decay that the cronyism and mismanagement of his presidency has led to, the prospect of instability is too dangerous for the population to demand a regime change.

A migrant nation

Nepotism and cronyism are flourishing in the Tajik system of power. Rakhmon’s relatives and his countrymen occupy key positions in the government. Although the industrial growth is insignificant in the country, his family remains rich, controlling all essential economic areas and the import of goods. Regardless of any legal changes meant to create better conditions for domestic businesses, the clans create neither opportunities nor incentives for entrepreneurs. While Tajikistan’s powerful keep enriching themselves, the gap between the rich and the poor keeps growing.

And the poor in Tajikistan, indeed, find it hard to make ends meet. The regime is following recommendations of international financial institutions, which forecast the macroeconomic growth at the level of 6-7 percent per year. However, such «growth» might seem good on paper, but the inflation (which stands at 6.5-7 percent) and dormant domestic industry make it hard for ordinary Tajiks to feel it. The volume of imports is twice higher than exports, while the unemployment remains at least 10 times the levels of 2.6 percent which the government reports.

The bleak economic prospects at home send many Tajiks outside the country to look for employment. In fact, Tajikistan is the indisputable leader in terms of the number of labour migrants per capita: 1.5 million out of the 7.5-million population work abroad. According to the World Bank, Tajikistan is also a global leader in terms of remittances, which constitute 47 percent of the national GDP (data from 2011).

These numbers are so shocking that the authorities have prohibited commercial banks from revealing data on foreign transfers. After all, the regime wants to present itself in a better light in the eyes of international donors and development organisations.

At the same time, education and health care have been completely neglected. The most prestigious professions in Soviet times (doctors and educators) have become infamous for their low pay. The average monthly salary of a school teacher, a university professor, or a physician ($70 — $150) is far beyond the average living standard. The Tajik non-state media has also reported on corruption in universities where students often have to pay bribes to pass exams. Medical care is not free either; unofficial payments from patients to doctors and nurses have long become the norm.

The situation in the area of human rights and the freedom of expression is not any better either. There is an obvious and alarming process of «turkmenisation» of Tajikistan (Turkmenistan is the most authoritarian state in Central Asia), as public officials and the government media have increased their obsequiousness and adoration of the nation’s leader. Torture remains an instrument within the police and prison systems to extract confessions from defendants. Very seldom, the authorities grant access to places of detention for international observers (such as ICRC) and local NGOs. The Tajik authorities have also tighten restrictions on religious freedoms.

The Tajik non-state media are pretty strong, and criticism of the authorities is quite vocal, but the regime disregards such publications and sometimes resorts to clampdown on media outlets and beatings of journalists. Quite frequently the government communication agency orders domestic Internet providers to block access to certain news portals and social networks, such as Facebook.

Rakhmon’s trump card

Although Rakhmon has neglected his people’s prosperity, his presidency has at least provided them with relative stability and has ensured the support of Russia and the West. The president is by far not an amateur. The former chairman of a collective farm, he has gone through all stages of governance in the harshest years of challenges and hardships. Rakhmon is quite charismatic, and he knows how to speak with those he depends on (Russia, the US, and the EU).

He has been quite adept at handling Russia and recently struck a profitable deal over the long-term presence of the Russian military base on the Tajik territory. He kept bargaining with Moscow, demanding essential economic privileges, exemption from taxes on the Russian oil products, as well as big investments in Tajikistan’s economy (the hydropower sector in particular). After long delays and certain diplomatic scandals, the Russian military base agreement was ratified — right on the eve of the presidential elections.

Rakhmon remains on good terms with the US and Europe. The Western powers are interested in keeping their presence in Tajikistan because of its geopolitical strategic importance and natural resources. The forthcoming withdrawal of the coalition troops from Afghanistan forces foreign diplomats to turn a blind eye on numerous human rights violations in Tajikistan. Western diplomats also «do not notice» high-profile economic crimes committed by Tajik high-ranking officials — namely, embezzlement and misuse of huge loans and grants provided to Tajikistan by the international financial institutions. Tajikistan’s territory and the air space (potentially or expectedly) will be used during the exodus of the Western military alliance from Afghanistan.

Rakhmon holds the key to the alignment of Russian, American and European interests in his country: stability. The proximity to Afghanistan and a long common border (1,400 km) makes Tajikistan prone to a whole lot of troubles: from drug trafficking to potential aggression from Islamist groups. The latter is the subject of constant controversial allegations and speculations among political experts and geopolitical strategists in the country. In 2005, the Russian border guards left the Tajik-Afghan border. Despite the logistical assistance and training being provided by the US and the EU, the border remains largely porous.

At the same time, Tajiks still bear recent memories of the destructive civil war which took the lives of some100,000 people. Although Rakhmon signed a peace treaty with the opposition in Moscow in 1997, civil war scars remain. Just last year the region of Gorno-Badakhshan witnessed clashes between the government forces and armed groups which led to the death at least 70 people. The regime has long feared instability in Afghanistan spilling over through the border into the restive region. With the upcoming withdrawal of the US and its allies from Afghanistan, this danger is ever more real.

A regime change or an inexperienced president can easily let this situation slip out of control. For many Tajiks, who already suffer under the dire economic conditions and limited prospects, Rakhmon’s authoritarian rule is preferred to another civil conflict. Relative stability is better than a dubious future.

Konstantin Parshin is a journalist based in Dushanbe, a media expert, and a member of the National Association of Independent Mass Media, Tajikistan (NANSMIT).

Uzbekistan’s most popular weekly newspaper, «Darakchi» (Messenger), is under investigation for tax evasion. 

The newspaper is owned by a close associate of presidential daughter Gulnara Karimova.

Some of the newspaper’s journalists told RFE/RL on December 11 that they were forced to take vacations and were advised to start looking for new jobs.

Business owners say they have been informed that their ads will stop being printed in the newspaper and that their money will not be returned as the newspaper’s bank accounts have been frozen.

The weekly’s owner, Uzbek media tycoon Firdavs Abduholiqov, has reportedly fled the country. His current whereabouts is unknown.

Karimova announced earlier on Twitter that many of her associates had been arrested and that her media holding company was being investigated for bribe-taking.

http://www.rferl.org/content/uzbekistan-newspaper-investigated-karimova/25197194.html

The media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned «outrageous and clearly illegal» attacks on the offices of three opposition mass media outlets in Kyiv. 

In its December 10 statement, RSF said that «the raids on the offices of the newspaper ‘Vechirni Visti,’ the online TV station INTV, and the news website Cenzor.net were serious violations of the freedom of information and Ukraine’s constitutional guarantees.»

RSF urged a complete investigation and said that if the Ukrainian Special Forces were responsible, «the competent authorities must explain their actions and be held accountable.»

Cenzore.net’s editor, Yuriy Butusov, told RFE/RL that late on December 9 unidentified armed and masked people raided the offices of the three media outlets and removed all servers and databases.

The three mass media outlets belong to representatives of the opposition Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party.

http://www.rferl.org/content/media-ukraine-raids-police-protests/25195750.html

KYIV — About 50 protesters are picketing the building of Kyiv’s Court of Appeals, where hearings are being held into the appeal of a journalist detained in connection with recent political protests. 

The protesters are chanting, «Freedom to political prisoners!»

Journalist Valeriy Harahuts is one of several people arrested for allegedly organizing antigovernment protests on Bankovaya Street near the presidential administration office in Kyiv on December 1.

One of the protesters, Oleksandr Solontay, told RFE/RL that protest actions to support the «prisoners of Bankovaya Street» will also be held in other Ukrainian towns and cities.

On December 1, security officers and protesters upset with the government over its failure to sign a key EU accord clashed in front of the presidential administration.

Several protesters were arrested.

http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-protest-prosecution/25195733.html

Transparency International is warning that the abuse of power, secret dealings, and bribery within the public sector continue to «ravage» countries around the world, including in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). 

The assessment is based on the annual «Corruption Perceptions Index» published by the Berlin-based organization on December 3.

The index ranks 177 countries by their perceived levels of public-sector corruption. It draws on surveys covering expert assessments and views of businesspeople.

In the index, more than two-thirds of the countries score below 50, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean).

Transparency International says that demonstrates corruption remains one of the world’s biggest challenges, particularly among political parties, police, and justice systems.

«Speaking of countries in the former Soviet Union, I would say that we have nothing to celebrate this year because the picture is rather gloomy and can be described as stagnation across all the countries,» says Svetlana Savitskaya, Transparency International’s program coordinator for Europe and Central Asia.

«Even Georgia, commonly known as a champion of anticorruption reforms in Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union region, has dropped compared to the last year.»

In the «Corruption Perceptions Index 2013,» Georgia ranks 55th with a score of 49, compared to a score of 52 in 2012.

CIS: Backsliding Or Stagnant

Elsewhere in the Caucasus, Savitskaya says the scores of Armenia (94th) and Azerbaijan (127th) have shown some «negligible» improvement.

Savitskaya says the scores for all other CIS countries have either deteriorated — like Moldova (102nd), Belarus (123rd), Ukraine (144th), and Kazakhstan (140th) — or remained the same as last year in the case of Russia (127th), Kyrgyzstan (150th), and other Central Asian countries.

Tajikistan (154th), Turkmenistan (168th), and Uzbekistan (168th) remain this year among the worst scorers.

Savitskaya says a number of factors conspire to make fighting corruption difficult in CIS countries.

«These countries have the same disease sort to say, which is strong patronized networks and concentration of economic and political power in the hands of ruling elites,» Savitskaya says.

«And also there is a very blurred line between political and business interests. Then we also have weakness of the judiciary and police.»

Savitskaya adds that public officials can often operate with very limited transparency and accountability, while external watchdogs such as media and civil society remain marginalized in countries like Belarus, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. She says that civic activism can help things change.

«I think as a positive trend, we see that citizens’ engagement and civic activism has significantly increased. Citizens are taking action,» Savitskaya says.

«If you look at what is happening in Ukraine these days. They just don’t want to accept what the government does. They want to take this European vector of development also because in doing so, they would become more transparent and the corruption would become much, much less in the country,» she adds.

In Southeastern Europe, both Macedonia and Montenegro rank 67th, while Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia hold 72nd place. Kosovo is 111th.

Afghanistan makes up the worst performer, along with North Korea and Somalia, scoring just eight points. Neighboring Pakistan takes 127th place, Iran 144th, and Iraq 171st.

Denmark and New Zealand tie for first place with scores of 91, followed by Finland, Sweden, and Norway.

http://www.rferl.org/content/transparency-international-corruption-commonwealth-of-independent-states/25187823.html

Photographers from all over the world can participate in this contest.

The Abu Dhabi Authority for Tourism and Culture is organizing the International Emirates Photography Competition. The competition is being held under the patronage of the International Federation of Photographic Art, the Photographic Society of America and the United Photographers International.

The competition aims to develop UAE photography by encouraging and attracting talented artists and supporting professional photographers. The competition also features specialized workshops, meetings and seminars, and solo and group exhibitions.

A grand prize of AED80,000 (US$21,780) will be awarded to a work that presents innovative creative ideas in the main theme “Decisive Moment.” Winners in other categories will receive cash prizes ranging from AED8,000 to 30,000 (US$2,170 to 8,160).

Winners are invited to the Awards Ceremony in Abu Dhabi and the distinct artworks exhibition.

The deadline is Dec. 9.

For more information, click here: http://emiratesphotocompetition.ae/

Print, broadcast and online journalists who want a deeper understanding of evolution can apply for this program in Durham, N.C.

The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) is accepting applications for its journalist-in-residence program for a period of two or three weeks to up to three months. Funded by the National Science Foundation, NESCent is jointly operated by Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University.

Fellows will have an opportunity to interact with world experts in a wide range of evolutionary topics including human evolution, evolutionary medicine, paleontology, biodiversity, conservation, astrobiology, and climate change. Journalists can participate in a variety of scientific meetings and seminars.

Journalists-in-residence will receive support for travel to and from NESCent, a housing allowance, a meal per diem and office space at NESCent.

The deadline is Jan. 15.

For more information, click here: http://www.nescent.org/science/Journalist-in-residence.php

Freedom of Speech in Tajikistan

November 2013

In November 2013, the Monitoring Service received 21 reports. Seven of them describe the factual situation in the media in the light of social, legal and political environment; five reports describe direct violations of rights of media professionals; and nine 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

11 November

Nizom Kosim, parliamentarian, Dushanbe

On 11 November, the Tajik parliamentarian Nizom Kosim told the Asia Plus news agency that “certain representatives of the so-called “intelligentsia” and the “independent mass media” are trying to defame the real national poet of Tajikistan and the master of artistic craft Bozor Sobir – who complimented the president Emomali Rakhmon with his victory at the presidential elections”.

According to the parliamentarian, Bozor Sobir is sincerely confident that Emomali Rakhmon deserves poems to be dedicated to him – since he has made so much for his people and his country.

“I would advise those who fight for democracy and the freedom of speech to be tolerant and restrain from insulting others”, — said Kosim.

29 November

Davlatsho Gulmamadov, acting head of Khatlon province administration, Kurgan-Tube

On 29 November, the new head of administration in Khatlon province Davlatsho Gulmamadov met with managers of the government printing and electronic mass media and journalists.

In the course of the conversation, the official urged the media to establish a closer cooperation with the authorities; he asked journalists to be more objective in their publications.

However, the administration did not invite regional representatives of non-state mass media.

2. Journalists protecting their professional rights

21 November

Nuriddin Karshiboev, chairman of NANSMIT, Dushanbe

On 21 November, Nuriddin Karshiboev, chairman of NANSMIT told Radio Ozodi (Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty) that he has approached the National Legislation Center under the president’s administration with a request to provide the text of amendments and changes in the laws regulating the Internet in Tajikistan.

The head of NANSMIT considers that prior to be presented to the parliament, such draft laws must be discussed among journalists, media organizations and experts with the purpose of proposals and opinions.

“We have heard about the amendments to be developed, and our representative was assigned to the working group in charge of these issues, but we are not aware about the changes proposed by the National Legislation Center. The media community is also excluded from the process of discussion”, — said Karshiboev.

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

7 November

TV Poytakht, Dushanbe

The municipal TV station Poytakht is planning to replace its broadcasting equipment.

“We have purchased a new transmitter from the Ukrainian manufacturers for $70 thousand. The new transmitter is 6-7 times more powerful compared to the previously used one, which we leased from Teleradiocom, the technical branch of the government Communication Service”, — Abdulkodir Abdukahhor told the media.

17 November

All media, Dushanbe

The Tajik National Association of Independent Mass Media (NANSMIT) held a seminar on the topic of human resource management in the media.

Elena Sattarova, trainer and expert of the consulting company Sattori Group TJ said that the training will help media managers to become more efficient in the area of human resource management.

29 November

All media, Dushanbe

The Tajik National Association of Independent Mass Media (NANSMIT) held a seminar on digital security for journalists to discuss the issues of protection of correspondence, archived files and prevention of unsanctioned access to personal computers.

The seminar was held with the support from the international NGO Reporters Without Borders. Participants learned about the methodologies of online and offline ciphering and anonymization. They also gained skills of installing and working with software ensuring confidentiality and anonymity.

“This initiative is quite important to ensure digital security in the media – since the protection of privacy and the freedom of expression are closely interrelated”, — said Nuriddin Karshiboev, chairman of NANSMIT.

30 November

All media, Dushanbe

On 30 November, the Tajik National Association of Independent Mass Media (NANSMIT) held an international conference in Dushanbe on the topic “Media and security of creative journalism in Central Asia”.

Participants of the conference discussed the issues of the freedom of information and security of creative activities in the media. They also developed a draft appeal to the governments of Central Asia.

The conference was organized as a final event within the framework of the program “Media management and security of creative journalism in Tajikistan” implemented by NANSMIT under support of the Democracy Commission under the US Embassy in Dushanbe and the Danish NGO International Media Support. The Conrad Adenauer Foundation, the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, Reporters Without Borders, the Finnish Media, Communication and Development  Foundation (Vikes), the Tajik branch of the Open Society Institute, and the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR)  performed the role of partners at the conference.

II. VIOLATION OF RIGHTS IN THE MEDIA

1. Access to information

5 November

Communication Service under the government, Dushanbe

The Tajik government Communication Service refuted publications in the media, which said that the head of the agency, Beg Zukhurov gave the errand to local Internet providers to block access to the web site of the Ozodagon news agency and the video hosting YouTube.

The Asia Plus news agency quoted Alibek Beknazarov, head of a unit under the national Internet provider Tajiktelecom as saying that Beg Zukhurov is presently in a business trip. “The statement about a personal order given by Zukhurov is illogical”, — the official said.

Zafar Sufi, director general of the media holding Ozodagon, referring to an anonymous source among the local Internet providers, told the media that access to www.ozodagon.com and to its Russian-language version www.сatoday.оrg was blocked after Zukhurov’s personal errand. Sufi added that the Internet providers received a written documents signed by the head of the Communication Service.

5 November

Asomiddin Atoev, chairman of the National Association of Internet Providers, Dushanbe

“The forthcoming presidential elections in Tajikistan and the foreign interest to this political event have caused limitations in access to the Internet in the country”, Asomiddin Atoev, head of the Tajik National Association of Internet providers told the Asia Plus news agency.

Atoev added that “…by and large, there are no essential problems with access to the Internet throughout the country; but the speed of connection and transmission is low”.

13 November

Temur Varky, TV Safo

Temur Varky, chief editor of TV Safo informed the audience through Facebook that the station resumed satellite broadcasting on Hotbird 13 E 12380 V 27500. He also noted that the TV programs were not available on the territory of Tajikistan since 20 August – the programs were jammed by the Tajik government Communication Service.

28 November

Asia Plus weekly, Dushanbe

The Tajik weekly Asia Plus has been planning to hold an interview with Mr. Zarif Alizoda, the Tajik Ombudsman.

On 28 November, Asia Plus published an article titled “Whom does the Tajik ombudsman protects?” It took quite a while for journalists to arrange an interview; they had sent their questions in written form to Mr. Alizoda. When the ombudsman learned that Asia Plus is going to ask questions about the case of Zaid Saidov (the Tajik entrepreneur who tried to found an opposition political party), Alizoda referred to “the classified character of investigation”, and refused to respond.

A week after the presentation of the UN Human Rights Committee’s recommendations regarding Tajikistan’s National Human Rights Report on the implementation of civil and political rights, Asia Plus tried to contact Mr. Alizoda once again. The answer to the correspondent was the following: “Stop harassing me! What do you think you are? Who do you think you are speaking to? Get out of here! Leave me alone!”

2. Violation of social rights

15 November

Jamoliddin Saidov, editor, Subkhidam weekly, Khujand, Sughd province

Jamoliddin Saidov, editor of the Subkhidam weekly told the NANSMIT monitoring service that the social security department in the city of Khujand refused to provide allowance to the family of a young journalist who passed away recently. The officials explained that the journalist worked for a private newspaper; regardless of the fact that the person had three children who have not reached lawful age and cannot take care of themselves, the social security service cannot provide any allowance to families whose members work for non-state enterprises.

III. CONFLICTS, VIOLATIONS OF RIGHTS IN THE MEDIA

1. Accusation of defamation

12 November

Olga Tutubalina, editor, Asia Plus weekly, Dushanbe

The Firdavsi district court in Dushanbe continued hearings on the litigation against the Asia Plus weekly and Olga Tutubalina, the editor of this newspaper.

Last summer, five Tajik creative unions and three individuals initiated a civil case against the weekly and its editor accusing her of “defamation of the Tajik intelligentsia”.

Tutubalina published an article criticizing the Tajik poet Bozor Sobir who spent a couple of decades in the United States, but returned recently to support the Tajik president Emomali Rakhmon in his presidential elections campaign. The author also noted in her publication that the Tajik creative unions (closely controlled by the government), the so-called “intelligentsia” have no their own opinion; neither do they have their own social position. As an illustration of her thoughts, Tutubalina quoted Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the Soviet State who wrote in one of his letters to the proletarian writer Maxim Gorky that “…the intelligentsia is the shit of the nation rather than its brain”.

The lawyer of Asia Plus Inoyat Inoyatov stated at the hearings that “Article 30 of the Tajik Constitution guarantees the freedom of speech and expression as well as the right to use the mass media”. “The Law “On printing and other mass media” says that personal opinion of the author expressed in a medium (or in a publication) cannot be seen as an insult or defamation”, — he added.

The court demanded to perform a linguistic expertise of the article’s text. The Asia Plus’s lawyer said that there are only two competent organizations capable of conducting such an expertise – the Committee on Language and Terminology under the government and the Institute of Language, Literature, Oriental Studies and Written Heritage under the Tajik Academy of Sciences. “Both institutions have a rather strong affiliation to the government, and thus, they cannot provide any impartial opinion”, — the lawyer said.

On 13 November, the court gave an errand to the Committee on Language and Terminology under the government to conduct the linguistic expertise of the article.

The lawyer Inoyatov told the media that the court’s decision might have a wrong impact on the defendant. The lawyer also noted that he is ready to appeal to the municipal civil collegiate court.

More details on this case: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/67181

14 November

Imruz News weekly, Dushanbe

The Tajik private weekly Imruz News appealed against the decision of the court obliging the newspaper to pay the amount of 50 thousand Somoni (about $10 thousand) as a moral compensation to Rustam Khukumov, the son of the head of the Tajik railways.

Earlier this year, Imruz News published an article titled “Khukumov and Bakiev are a real headache for their fathers” describing unlawful behavior of the sons of influential public officials and entrepreneurs.

In June 2013, the Dushanbe municipal court rejected Khukumov’s claim against Imruz News, but later, the decision was reconsidered.

26 November

Sangin Gulov, Tajik National University, Dushanbe

Speaking at a conference on “International standards in journalism and professional ethics”, Sangin Gulov, professor of the Tajik National University said that “Olga Tutubalina did not violate the law”. “The issue being discussed in the media lies in the area of ethical norms. Although, she did not violate any ethical standards ether – she only quoted Vladimir Lenin to support her own opinion”, — he added.

2. Accusation of fraud

26 November

Makhmadyusuf Ismoilov, freelance journalist, Asht district, Sughd province

On 27 November, the Sughd province court held a hearing on the cassation from Makhmadyusuf Ismoilov, freelance journalist who was accused of fraud and other crimes and sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Sadriddin Saidov, Ismoilov’s lawyer told the media that the verdict of the judge was based on ungrounded allegations.

Ismoilov was accused of repeated extortion and abuse of power. The court dismissed the complaint.

Dushanbe,Tajikistan, 28 and 29 November 2013 – At a workshop 20 journalists from print and electronic media learned how to protect the communication with their sources from surveillance and interception. Читать далее NANSMIT fosters digital security for journalists →

Acourt in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don has sentenced a local journalist to 18 months in jail for insulting a local judge in his blog. 

Sergei Reznik was found guilty on November 26 of «publicly insulting» the chairwoman of the Rostov Oblast Arbitration Court on his LiveJournal blog. The court also found Reznik guilty of paying a 2,000-ruble ($45) bribe to a mechanic to clear his car in a technical inspection.

Furthermore, the court declared Reznik’s claims that he received threatening phone calls a false complaint, and agreed with prosecutors that he had arranged the calls himself.

Reznik initially filed two police complaints of receiving threats of physical violence over the phone. But the local branch of the Investigative Committee instead began proceedings against him, accusing him of  «wishing to draw public and media attention to his personality» and «seeking to raise his professional rating.»

The investigators said he had asked two acquaintances to make the threatening calls, though the two people who testified to doing so were actually people Reznik had been in conflict with, he told the Glasnost Defense Fund.

Reznik, who is a correspondent with the «Yuzhny federalny» newspaper known for his critical reporting on city officials, pleaded not guilty and said the case against him was connected with his journalistic activities.

The court ordered Reznik taken into custody in the courtroom. There are still two other charges pending against him.

Threats Of Violence Realized

On the evening of October 22, Reznik survived an attack by two men who beat him with a baseball bat and shot him with a trauma pistol before disappearing.

«I turned around and saw a lean man catching up with us and raising a baseball bat over Sergei’s head,» Natalya Reznik told Glasnost. «My husband dodged and took the first blow on the side of his neck. After he fell down, the assailant started kicking away at him, not giving him a chance to rise. I cried out for help, and then I heard the sound of a gunshot.»

The police began criminal proceedings, though they wouldn’t comment on the likely motives. Reznik connected the assault with his professional work.

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Office Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic expressed deep concern on October 24. «Attacks like these are simply unacceptable. I trust that the authorities will conduct a thorough and swift investigation of this case and bring those responsible to justice,» Mijatovic said.

The International Federation of Journalists and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) also condemned the attack. «The beating of journalists has sadly been a practice in many Russian regions for many years,» EFJ Vice President Nadezda Azhgikhina said. «It is one of the worst forms of censorship, and it often ends with impunity.»

— RFE/RL’s Russian Service

http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-journalist-jailed-insults/25181128.html