DUSHANBE — A Tajik court has found an independent weekly guilty of libel and ordered it to pay the Agriculture Ministry damages over an article that accused the ministry of corruption, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reports.

District court Judge Dilorom Abdurahimova ruled in Dushanbe on February 8 that «Millat» must pay 1,500 somons ($333) to the ministry in moral damages and make an official apology to it. The trial had lasted more than one year.

At the end of 2009, «Millat» wrote an article about corruption in Tajikistan in which it quoted the country’s Anticorruption Agency and some members of the parliament as calling the Agriculture Ministry the most corrupt entity in Tajikistan.

The ministry said the article was libelous and asked for 1 million somons from «Millat» as compensation.

An Agriculture Ministry representative said on February 8 it was satisfied because the court ruled the newspaper must publicly apologize for the corruption allegation in the article, as well as pay for moral damages caused by the article.

But «Millat» lawyer Junaid Ibodov said the court’s ruling was unjustified, because the newspaper had quoted officials responsible for fighting corruption and had official statistics that showed corruption levels at the ministry.

Ibodov said «Millat» would appeal the ruling to the Dushanbe city court.

Akbar Sattor, the head of Tajikistan’s Union of Journalists, said on February 8 that the court ruling was made to put pressure on journalists.

«Millat» chief editor Adolat Mirzo said the court decision would not change the weekly’s determination to fight corruption.

http://www.rferl.org/content/tajik_newspaper_guilty_libel/2304365.html

JOINT STATEMENT
By the Union of Journalists of Tajikistan and the National Association of Independent Mass Media
31 January 2011

The Union of Journalists of Tajikistan (UJT) and the Tajik National Association of Mass Media (NANSMIT) express their concern in relation to persecution of journalists who use their right to expression, which contradicts the standards of the national and international law.
On 26 January 2011, the Asia Plus weekly published a legal notice of claim by the head of the Organized Crime Control Unit of the Tajik Interior Ministry Anvar Tagoimurodov, who states that the newspaper has disseminated slanderous information thus affecting the reputation of the law enforcement agency. The official demands a compensation from Asia Plus in the amount of 1 million Somoni (about $225 thousand).
The reason for the claim was an article y Ramziya irzobekova “Investigation or inquisition?” published in Asia Plus on 21.12.2010. The article contained information about tortures against persons on remand in the law enforcement units of Sughd province.
Tagoimurodov states that “correspondents write their stories based on quotes of people who are biased, and these stories are slandering and insulting”. He also alleged in his statement that Mirzobekova and other journalists who were covering the terrorist attack in Khujand (in September 2010) “personally knew those who committed the attack; and they were aware of the criminals’ evil intentions, and, probably, had relations with them”.
He editor of Asia Plus Marat Mamadshoev called this statement of the law enforcement official accusing journalists of helping terrorists “outrageous”. Ramziya Mirzobekova has been repeatedly invited to the Prosecutor General’s office – allegedly for clarification of facts in her article; however, the officials are not really interested in lerning about the sources of information. The correspondent is incriminated in committing grave crimes; but she is not allowed to apply to a lawyer. This is a violation of the legislation; namely, the clauses prohibiting the disclosure of names and sources of information.
According to Article 19 of the International Pact on Human and Political Rights, which Tajikistan signed in 1999, citizens are guaranteed their right to freedom of expression, including the right to seek for and disseminate any information or ideas, regardless of the state boundaries – verbally or in written form, by means of printing or in artistic forms.
According to Article 30 of Tajikistan’s Constitution, citizens are guaranteed the freedom of speech, printing and the use of mass media; the state censorship and persecutions are prohibited.
The growing number of persecutions of journalists in Tajikistan and the court cases prove that the final goal of the complainants is not to “rectify mistakes”, but to shut down journalists. The pressure upon Tajikistan’s independent media might lead to serious restrictions of the freedom of speech in self-censorship, which has a negative impact on the image of Tajikistan in the international arena.
UJT and NANSMIT call the Prosecutor General’s office and other law enforcement bodies on investigating this case in order to stop any violations of constitutional rights in the country, in particular, the right to expression and access to information.

A. Sattorov, Chairman of UJT
N. Karshibaev, Chairman of NANSMIT

www.nansmit.tj

28 January 2011, Brussels/London/Madrid: 131 non-governmental organisations along with 56 investigative journalists, academics, and access to information campaigners from 48 countries in Europe and beyond are calling on Members of the European Parliament to act urgently to protect EU transparency rules.1 The call comes as the European Union engages in a review of its access to documents regulation that could result in freedom of information being severely curtailed across Europe.

Proposals put forward by the European Commission would substantially reduce the number of public documents by denying access to e-mails and other documents sent within the EU that are not “formally” transmitted, and by allowing individual Member States greater powers to keep their communications with the EU secret.2 The proposals, which have been criticised by the EU Ombudsman,3ignore the principle of openness enshrined in the founding treaties of European Union and would roll back rulings by the European Court of Justice which support a wider right of access to documents.

The campaign, coordinated by environmental lawyers ClientEarth, human rights organisation Access Info Europe, and Greenpeace, is urging MEPs in the LIBE Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs to vote against the Commission’s proposals. A debate on the issue will take place in Parliament on Tuesday 1 February 2011. Leading human rights and journalists’ organisations including Transparency International, Global Witness, Article 19, Statewatch and the World Press Freedom Committee have already signed the letter to MEPs. It will remain open to signatories until the vote.

James Thornton, CEO of ClientEarth, comments:
“Access to information is fundamental to democracy.If these proposals are allowed to become law opaque decision-making will be legitimatised. Governments and private companies will be able to exert increasing influence, confident that the European Union will keep their lobbying secret.”

Helen Darbishire, Executive Director of Access Info Europe, comments:
“Everyone in Europe has the right to know what their elected representatives are doing with the power entrusted to them and how the public’s money is being spent. 0ur representatives should be fighting to extend the rights of citizens, not reduce them. They should be calling for a stronger protection of a right of access to EU information, and should reject out of hand this attempt to limit the existing access to documents rules.”

Daniel Simons, Legal Counsel Campaigns and Actions at Greenpeace International, comments:
“The European Union is already not a role model on transparency, with many requests for documents processed late or rejected on questionable grounds, and these proposals will make matters worse. EU citizens and the rest of the world expect the EU to set a high standard, as the wide support for this letter from inside and beyond the EU shows.”

Access Info Europe and ClientEarth have also both been forced to file separate lawsuits against the Council of the European Union for access to documents concerning the proposed reforms. Access Info Europe’s case concerns access to a document which would show the positions taken by member states during negotiations.4 ClientEarth’s lawsuit concerns access to a legal document that gives information about the decision making process behind this review.5

Notes to Editor
1. Open Letter: MEPs called upon to protect EU transparency:
http://www.access-info.org/documents/Access_Docs/Advancing/EU/Letter_MEPs_28_Jan_2011.pdf
2. ClientEarth Briefing: Recast of Regulation 1049/2001 regarding public access to European institutions’ documents. http://www.clientearth.org/briefing-recast-of-regulation-10492001-regarding-public-access-to-european-parliamentcouncil-and-commissions-documents
3. Ombudsman Press Release: “Ombudsman warns that citizens’ right of access to documents is at risk”, 02 June 2008. http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/press/release.faces/en/241/html.bookmark
4. Access Info v Council (case T-233/09, see http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2009:205:0040:0041:EN:PDF and http://www.access-info.org/en/european-union). A hearing before the General Court was held in October 2010 and a judgement is expected in the Spring of 2011.
5. ClientEarth vs Council transparency lawsuit: http://www.clientearth.org/clientearth-vs-council-transparency-lawsuit
For further information contact:

Katherine Sladden | Communications officer | t. +44 (0)203 0305954 or m. +44(0)7538418460 | ksladden@clientearth.org

Helen Darbishire | Executive Director, Access Info | m. + 34 667 685 319 | helen@access-info.org

Access Info Europe
Access Info Europe is a human rights organisation dedicated to promoting and protecting the right of access to information in Europe and globally as a tool for defending civil liberties and human rights, for facilitating public participation in decision-making, and for holding governments accountable. www.access-info.org

ClientEarth
ClientEarth is an environmental law organisation working in the public interest. Based in Europe and operating globally, we address issues including deforestation, energy efficiency, biodiversity protection, and the transparency and enforcement of environmental law. www.clientearth.org

www.clientearth.org

Deadline:07/02/11
Internews Network in Tajikistan /USAID
LocationTajikistan

Journalism and nonprofit organizations in Tajikistan can apply to a small grants program that aims to improve journalists’ access to information about media law.

Grants are given to organize trainings, seminars, public hearings and other events in the field of media law.

For more information (in Russian), click here: http://ijnet.org/opportunities/small-grants-program-announced-tajikistan

http://ijnet.org/opportunities/small-grants-program-announced-tajikistan

Dear partners,

We would like to share with you good news. Radio Vatan has restarted broadcasting in the Khatlon region of Tajikistan.

Radio Vatan is the only independent radio station that is currently broadcasting in Khatlon.

We also continue the project, together with our partners and donors related to the social and economical situation in Khatlon.

For cooperation and advertising issues that include PR-programs, social and information programs and media campaigns in Dushanbe and the Khatlon region please contact the General Director of Radio Vatan Ms. Vera Kulakova-Brannerud at email verafromvatan@mail.ru or office telephone +992 (37) 2231106

More information about us: /www.vatan.tj/

— Radio Vatan is a News and Entertainment station based in Dushanbe and Khatlon.

— Radio Vatan is the official Tajikistan partner of Deutsche Welle and Deutsche Welle Academy and the official partner to Voice of Russia.

— Radio Vatan is a member of Journalist Association «Media-Alliance», and member of International Association of radio broadcasting Companies.

— Vatan is the only radio station in Tajikistan to broadcast news every day from 8am to 6pm on the half-hour alternating between Russian and Tajik languages. In addition, its informational programming includes a weekly news analysis talk show.

— Radio Vatan is an organizer of concert events in Tajikistan such pop stars as Andy (USA), Ingrid (Italy), Katya Lel (Russia), Yulduz Usmanova, Sevinc, Firouz Dzhumaniezova (Uzbekistan).

Yours sincerely,

Vera Kulakova-Brannerud,
General Director
Radio Vatan

www.vatan.tj

Deadline:01/02/11
Religion Newswriters Association

Journalists who cover religion can compete for 19 awards in six media categories: newspapers, magazines, broadcast outlets, multimedia outlets, books and student publications. There is US$10,000 available in prize money.

For more information, click here: http://www.rna.org/news/55828/Call-for-entries-2011-Religion-Newswriters-Ass

http://www.rna.org/news/55828/Call-for-entries-2011-Religion-Newswriters-Ass

Deadline:04/04/11
McCormick Foundation

Funding is available for four women with original ideas for websites, mobile news services or other initiatives. The one-time prizes are US$12,000.

Projects must launch within 10 months, have journalistic value and have a plan for continuing after initial funding has ended. For more information, click here: http://www.newmediawomen.org/site/proposal_guidelines/

http://www.newmediawomen.org/site/proposal_guidelines/

DUSHANBE — The entire staff of the Russian-language weekly «Vecherny Dushanbe» has resigned to protest censorship and «harassment» by their owner, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reports.

Journalists at the newspaper issued a statement on January 18 announcing their resignations.

They also accused Akbar Sattor, head of the Charkhi Gardun Media Group that owns the paper, of censorship, harassment, and ignoring the country’s labor law.

Gulnora Amirshoeva told RFE/RL today that the paper’s staff had been under nonstop pressure for the past six months. She said Sattor repeatedly threatened to close the weekly because it is not profitable.

Amirshoeva said journalists at «Vecherny Dushanbe» asked Sattor to let them take over the paper, but he demanded a huge sum of money to do so.

Sattor rejected Amirshoeva’s charges. He told RFE/RL it was true that «Vecherny Dushanbe» is unprofitable, but denied he wanted to close it.

Sattor said he planned to launch another weekly in Tajik that would have the same content as «Vecherny Dushanbe» because there is an increasingly smaller demand in Tajikistan for Russian-language newspapers.

Sattor said that despite the journalists’ resignation he would try to publish the weekly as usual.

Media experts note that Sattor’s situation is delicate because he is also the head of Tajikistan’s Union of Journalists, and in that capacity is obliged to defend journalists’ rights.

Tajik lawyer Hamza Hakimzoda said that according to the law, in cases where a conflict of interest arises the official involved should put his/her union leadership ahead of commercial interests.

«Vecherny Dushanbe» was founded in 1968 as the daily newspaper of the Dushanbe Committee of Tajikistan’s Communist Party. It became independent in 1992 and, in 1996, Sattor’s media group acquired it and turned it into a weekly.

http://www.rferl.org/content/russian_tajik_weekly_staff_resigns/2281388.html

Afghanistan, Iran and Tajikistan still cannot settle the issues of joint broadcasting. According to the REGNUM news agency, Iran fails to supply the TV broadcasting equipment.
According to Asadullo Rakhmonov, chairman of the Tajik State Broadcasting Committee the premises in Dushanbe are ready; what is needed for the time being is the equipment. The official also said that representatives of Iran and Tajikistan have recently had a meeting in the Tajik capital where they intended to discuss the terms of broadcasting, but their Afghan counterparts ignored the consultation.

Earlier, the ambassador of Iran to Tajikistan Ali Asgari Sherdust told the media that the cause of constant postponing of launching of the Persian-language TV channel is the Afghan uncertain position. The Kabul authorities consider that most of the population in Afghanistan are Pashtu people who do not speak Persian.

Apart from that, the parties cannot agree upon the content of TV programs and the appearance of TV anchors. Iran and Afghanistan are Islamic states, whereas Tajikistan is a secular country. Iranian and Afghan TV channels prohibit appearance of women without hijab.

The decision about the creation of the Persian-language TV channel was reached between the Tajik and Iranian presidents in July 2006 in Tehran. In March 2008, in Dushanbe, during a tripartite meeting of foreign ministers the parties agreed to create a Persian-language TV channel. It was decided that the headquarters of the new TV company will be located in Dushanbe.

REGNUM

During 2010, RFE journalists suffered intimidation, physical attacks and arbitrary arrest in 12 of the 21 countries forming its broadcast region. The year presented additional challenges as authorities in Belarus, Turkmenistan and Iran broadened their efforts beyond individuals and conducted sustained campaigns to silence entire RFE language services. RFE’s experience is consistent wih the findings of other media watchdogs, suggesting that governments in its broadcast region are increasingly intolerant of independent media and that the tools traditionally available to safeguard it are increasingly inadequate.

The December sentencing of Ernest Vardanean, a contributor to RFE’s Moldovan service, epitomized the vulnerability of RFE journalists everywhere to lawless regimes. Vardanean, who was first detained in April and ultimately tried behind closed doors, received a 15-year prison sentence from a court in Moldova’s breakawayTransdniester region on charges of state treason.

Such risks were on display in mass proportions in Belarus as RFE journalists were beaten and detained in mass arrests that imprisoned hundreds following the December 19 presidential elections. Ten days later, RFE’s Minsk bureau was anticipating a raid on its premises as part of a crackdown on the independent media. The bureau was the target of a sustained campaign of official intimidation earlier in the year. Two freelancers resigned after receiving threats from security agents against family members. Authorities also used accreditation to intimidate RFE journalists, stripping one correspondent of her status and forcing another to quit. In September, authorities issued a warning that all employees risked losing accreditation, a threat, in effect, to shut the bureau down. The bureau chief was interrogated by the KGB in the summer and harassed during routine border crossings to neighboring states.

Intimidation of members of RFE’s Turkmen service began mid-year and continued unchecked at year’s end. In numerous instances relatives of the service’s Prague-based staff were interrogated, threatened, dismissed from long-held jobs, denied travel rights and in other ways blacklisted as a result of their association with RFE. A Prague-based correspondent was refused entry to the country and banned as an “inadmissible subject” in May after attempting a visit following 11 years of exile. During the year, RFE’s website and phone lines to its correspondents in the country were routinely monitored and blocked.

In Kyrgyzstan, several RFE correspondents were victims of interethnic violence that erupted in the country’s southern regions in June. Two correspondents for our Uzbek service fled their homes in Osh after attackers targeted them for their ethnicity and their reporting on atrocities.
RFE journalists covering events in Tajikistan’s remote northern provinces were vilified and threatened in a series of articles that were published in local newspapers and which appeared to be part of a coordinated campaign.

In the North Caucasus, where independent journalism is nearly extinct, two correspondents resigned from RFE’s small Chechen service this year after security agents threatened their families.

Efforts to thwart Radio Farda, RFE’s Persian language service, continued this year, and included routine blocking of its website and the publication of a 360-page book by Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance deploring the radio’s purpose, programs and employees. Farda staff members in Prague received threats, as did their family members in Iran.

At year’s end, the Azerbaijani service marked the second year since the government banned its broadcasts from medium wave and FM.

RFE’s Russian service continued to suffer the loss of broadcast affiliates across the Federation from almost 30 in 2004 to fewer than three in 2010 as a result of political pressure. RFE journalists in Russia operate in the shadow of some 20 journalists who have been killed and countless others who were brutally attacked this decade and whose cases remain unsolved.

http://www.rferl.org/content/journalists_in_trouble_the_record_2010/2271786.html