KULOB, Tajikistan — A court in southern Tajikistan has ruled that a regional leader of the opposition Islamic Renaissance Party and another man are not guilty of human trafficking, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reports.

Judge Ilhom Komilov told RFE/RL the court in the town of Kulob did not find anything illegal in the activities of the two accused men.

Abdufattoh Abdukholiqov, who heads the opposition Islamic Renaissance Party branch in the Vose district of Khatlon province, told RFE/RL he was satisfied with the court ruling.

Davlat Najmiddinov, who heads the anti-organized-crime department in Kulob district, told RFE/RL in April when the criminal case was opened that Abdukholiqov and Nematullo Sharifov paid $500 to the mother of a 16-year-old girl whom they allegedly planned to sell to someone in Russia.

At the same time, Abdukholiqov told RFE/RL that the girl was his relative and that he was trying to help her by arranging a marriage for her in Russia. Abdukholiqov added that the $500 was the dowry that should be paid to any Muslim girl by her future husband.

The alleged trafficking victim’s sister, Parvina Sabzaeva, who police claimed had been trafficked to Russia earlier, told RFE/RL that Abdukholiqov had helped her to find a husband and a job and begin a life abroad.

She said the family asked Abdukholiqov to do the same for her sister.

The prosecutor’s office has 10 days to appeal the court verdict.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Tajik_Opposition_Politician_Acquitted_Of_Human_Trafficking_Charge/21192

ALMATY — A Kazakh journalist was sentenced today to 10 days in jail for throwing dung at the Almaty city court building, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reports.

Zhanna Baytelova’s action on August 2 was found by the Almaty administrative court to be an act of hooliganism. She pleaded not guilty to the charge because she said what she did was a «protest action.»

Baytelova repeatedly threw handfuls of manure at an entrance to the Almaty city court building to protest the court’s rejection of her lawsuit against Prime Minister Karim Masimov and two other politicians.

Baytelova had filed a case against Masimov, Senate speaker Qasymzhomart Toqaev, and lower house speaker Oral Mukhamedzhanov in the Zhetysu district court for what she termed their «illegal decision to sign the law on the ‘leader of the nation,'» which became official in mid-June.

The district court decided not to accept Baytelova’s case, so she took it to the Almaty city court, which refused her case on July 27. The law on the «leader of the nation» widened the rights and powers of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev and his relatives.

Baytelova, who works for the opposition newspaper «Golos Respubliki» (Voice of the Republic), told journalists after her verdict was pronounced today that she considers her sentence «a sign of solidarity between courts, as my action…was a protest against the Kazakh courts’ ‘illegal decisions.'»

http://www.rferl.org/content/Kazakh_Journalist_Jailed_For_Throwing_Manure_At_Courthouse/2118677.html

DUSHANBE — The privately owned Mushfiqi printing house in Dushanbe says that «technical problems» will prevent it from printing several independent weekly publications, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reports.

The move has raised suspicions in light of past instances when political pressure from authorities is thought to have disrupted the print runs of other independent publications.
Mushfiqi manager Umed Sattarov said the weeklies in question are «Paikon,» «Ozodagon,» «SSSR,» «Millat,» and «Borgohi Sukhan.»

Sattarov told RFE/RL that Mushfiqi has asked those publications’ editors to find alternative printing houses.

«Our printing equipment is broken. We request that they temporarily print elsewhere. We have a very small press that we can only print our own publications with,» Sattarov said.

Editor Jumaboy Tolibov vowed that he would find an alternative means of circulating his «Paikon» publication.

Union of Journalists of Tajikistan head Akbar Sattor, who also owns a printing house, said that he is prepared to publish «Paikon» but only for a price that suits him.

Tajik lawyer Shuhrat Qudratov said that the Mushfiqi printing house has an agreement with these weeklies and must fulfill its obligations.

But Mukhtor Boqizoda, a former editor and the head of a local NGO that works to protect journalists’ interests, described Mushfiqi’s refusal as a message from the authorities that those weekly papers have overstepped government-imposed limits.

Boqizoda said that often when authorities or printing houses cite «technical problems,» the problems are in fact political. He recalled that in the past, non-government-sponsored newspapers like «Ruzi Nav» and his own «Nerui Sukhan» found themselves in similar situations and were unable to continue publishing.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Technical_Problems_Halt_Publication_Of_Independent_Tajik_Weeklies/21177

DUSHANBE — The leader of a madrasah and dozens of his students at his religious school in southern Tajikistan have been detained, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reports.

Tajik officials said Mavlavi Abduqahor, who is also a religious leader, was detained over the weekend along with the students at the school in the Rudaki district south of the capital, Dushanbe.

Interior Ministry spokesman Mahmadullah Asadulloev told RFE/RL that Abduqahor was arrested for teaching without a license, charging tuition to his students, failing to adhere to school health and hygiene regulations, and for teaching children under 7 years of age — which Asadulloev said is the worst offense.

Abduqahor’s relatives told RFE/RL that his madrasah takes on additional students during the summer break.

They said Abduqahor and several students were arrested once before, a few weeks ago, but were later released.

The Interior Ministry said the detentions were carried out under the auspices of Operation Madrasah, which aims to ban all illegal religious schools in the country.

Some Tajik-based analysts say officials are trying to control all religious schools in an attempt to prevent the rise of radical Islam.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Tajik_Madrasah_Leader_Students_Detained/2116294.html

ALMATY — A Kazakh journalist threw dung at the Almaty city court building today to protest the court’s rejection of her lawsuit against Prime Minister Karim Masimov and other politicians, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reports.

Zhanna Baytelova had filed a case against Masimov, Senate speaker Qasymzhomart Toqaev, and lower house speaker Oral Mukhamedzhanov in the Zhetysu district court for what she termed their «illegal decision to sign the law on the ‘leader of the nation,'» which became official in mid-June.

The district court decided not to accept Baytelov’s case, so she took it to the Almaty city court, which refused her case on July 27.

The law on the «leader of the nation» widened the rights and powers of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev and his relatives.

Baytelova, who works for the opposition newspaper «Golos Respubliki» (Voice of the Republic), told journalists that by throwing dung at the court building she wanted to register her protest against the Kazakh courts’ «illegal decisions.»

http://www.rferl.org/content/Kazakh_Journalist_Throws_Manure_At_Almaty_Court/2116632.html

KHUJAND, Tajikistan — A nongovernmental organization that works with homeless children in Tajikistan has been banned after being accused of proselytizing, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reports.

The court in the northern city of Khujand cited several reasons on July 26 for the ban on Dasti Madad (Helping Hand), including a claim the NGO had engaged in Christian missionary work.

Dasti Madad representatives say the accusation is untrue.

Aleksandra Kolesnikova, a Dasti Madad lawyer, told RFE/RL on July 27 that the NGO was accused of proselytizing because in 2005 a group of young people in the organization left Dasti Madad and set up an organization called Hayoti Javonon (Life of the Youth).

Kolesnikova said Hayoti Javonon distributed gifts from foreign Christian missionary groups to children at official gatherings and special events, in violation of Tajik law. She said the Justice Ministry assumed Dasti Madad was doing the same things.

Kolesnikova said another reason cited by the court for closing the NGO was that its documentation was in Russian, not Tajik, the country’s official language.

Dasti Madad was also criticized because the court said its teaching programs were not based on official school curriculum, even though it was providing a service the government was unable to perform.

Kolesnikova added that Dasti Madad has been active in the country for 11 years and has helped more than 500 homeless children by providing shelter, schooling, and defending their rights.

She said there are only a few NGOs in Tajikistan dedicated to helping homeless or street children — two in Sughd province and one in the capital, Dushanbe.

Dasti Madad’s work has not stopped as its founders have already created a new NGO, Sarchashma (Source), which has been registered with the Justice Ministry. They said they would continue to work with homeless children in Sughd under the new name.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Tajik_Court_Bans_NGO_Helping_Homeless_Children/2112909.html

KABUL — The Afghan cabinet has closed a private television station, RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan reports.

The government’s closing on July 27 of the Emroz (Today) television channel, owned by Afghan parliament member Najibulla Kabuli, is unprecedented.

Kabuli told Radio Free Afghanistan by phone on July 27 that the government’s decision to shut down his TV station was politically motivated.

He said Emroz has been trying to reveal to viewers «Iran’s interference in Afghanistan’s affairs.» Kabuli accused some politicians and political parties of «pressuring Afghan President Hamid Karzai to close» the station.

Hakim Asher, the head of the Afghan government’s Center for Information and Media, told Radio Free Afghanistan that the decision to close Emroz was made «because the television channel was fueling religious tensions and harming national unity.»

Emroz has aired mainly recreational programs since 2008. It also provided in-depth coverage of several executions of Afghans in neighboring Iran last year.

There are currently more than 20 television stations operating in Afghanistan.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Afghan_Government_Shuts_Down_TV_Station_/2111661.html

The Farazh weekly (#29, 21 July 2010) published an article criticizing the Innovative Road Solutions company – the one responsible for technical maintenance of the newly rehabilitated highway Dushanbe – Chanak.

In the last few months, the company has been widely criticized in the Tajik media for its tolling operations and unreasonably high tariffs. According to the President’s decree #622 “On obligatory response to criticism and analytical publications in the media”, public officials must timely provide their feedback. So far, the IRS has not provided the public with any intelligible explanation.

The Farazh has also published a list of recent publications in other media, which concern the company’s doubtful activities and tariff policies. This topic was widely discussed in online media as well in both Tajik and Russian languages and received feedback from individuals.

Neither officials from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, nor representatives of the President’s Office have given any feedback on those publications. Even representatives of the Tajik political parties and local executive authorities did not express their opinions on that, which is interpreted by media experts and human rights watchdogs as a violation of the Constitution and other relevant legal acts. The newspaper comes to the conclusion that the veil of silence and reluctance of officials have led to numerous publications and provoked rumors among the people.

NANSMIT-TajFEN

“Both media and human right organizations must unite into a single network to tackle the problems in the freedom of speech”.

This conclusion was made at a seminar “Strengthening the network facilitating the freedom of expression in Tajikistan” held on 21 July in Dushanbe. The event was organized by the National Association of Independent Media, Tajikistan (NANSMIT) with support from Internews Network and funded by USAID.

Participants of the seminar discussed the issues related to the freedom of expression in the country. They analyzed actions of the media and human rights watchdogs and shared their views on the activities of global and regional networks for freedom of expression. Participants also discussed the results of ongoing monitoring in this area and topical problems in the Tajik media.

Participants noted that there is a lack of cooperation between the media and human rights organizations, some of which are reluctant to publicize their reports in fear of reprisals from the authorities. Certain NGOs working in the sphere of human rights are afraid of a non-professional coverage of their activities by journalists. At the same time, media professionals are still practicing self-censorship. There are many problems related to the practical use of the freedom of speech and other civil rights among professionals and public at large. There is a vital necessity of strengthening cooperation between the human rights NGOs and the media; there is a need to enhance the knowledge of laws among journalists.

The use of new information-communication technologies in the strengthening of the freedom of speech and the techniques for collection of reports were two other important topics discussed at the seminar.

Participants came to the conclusion that it would be feasible to create a network facilitating the freedom of speech in Tajikistan, and it might be called TajFEN, i.e. “Tajik Freedom of Speech Network”. According to the authors of this idea, the main purpose of such a network is to consolidate the media and the human rights organizations in their endeavors. Creators of the network express their adherence to the international standards of free expression. The network should be created as a voluntary association of organizations, which always remain open for other potential members.

“TajFEN must become a platform for discussions; it is meant for exchange of information and discussion of problems in the sphere of freedom of speech and the media; it should be designed for joint actions to protect the freedom of expression”, — said Nuriddin Karshibaev, chairman of NANSMIT. — “We are intending to develop future actions to institutionalize and strengthen this network”, — he added.

The seminar was attended by the Tajik Human Rights Bureau, NANSMIT, the Tajik Union of Journalists, the public union “Khoma”, the public union “Journalist”, the IWPR office in Tajikistan and TajANESMI.

Among the observers were representatives of USAID, OSCE, the US Embassy in Dushanbe and Internews Network.

NANSMIT Monitoring Network

According to the Tajik Youth Committee under the government, a group of Pakistani journalists came to Tajikistan to support a visit of the head of the Pakistani Investments Agency, Mr. Salim Mandivala.

The journalists are going to visit spectacular tourist places – Varzob valley, Romit and Gissar.

It should be noted that in May-June 2010, two groups of journalists from Europe and the US visited Tajikistan at the invitation of the Tajik Committee on Youth, Tourism and Sports. The main purpose of these visits is to attract investments for Tajikistan’s economy, and the tourism sector in particular.

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