RFE/RL has covered the case of Umida Ahmedova, an Uzbek photographer who is being charged with defamation and damaging the country’s image.
Uzbek officials claim that the photos and videos that Ahmedova took in remote Uzbek villages (which were featured in two of her documentaries, «Customs Of Men And Women» and «The Burden Of Virginity») are defamatory and insulting to Uzbekistan.

(Check out a slideshow of her photos here.)

Two days ago, Ahmedova’s lawyer received a copy of the conclusions of a panel of «experts» who studied her photos. Apparently, the panel comprised «specialists» in the fields of religion, culture, and psychology.

You don’t have to be a specialist in defamation laws or a psychologist to understand how ridiculous some of the conclusions are.

The panel accused Ahmedova of deliberately presenting Uzbekistan’s landscape, way of life, and traditions in a negative and pessimistic light. The «specialists» came to the conclusion that after looking through Ahmedova’s pictures, any foreigner unfamiliar with Uzbekistan would have the impression that «people in Uzbekistan live in the Middle Ages.»

Some more of the commission’s findings:

90 percent of the pictures were taken in remote and underdeveloped Uzbek villages… Why does [Ahmedova] not take pictures of beautiful places, modern buildings, or well-off villages?

She depicts pictures of beggars and sleeping vagabonds — why does the author take pictures of such things?

The author focuses on two traditions: wedding and circumcision. In both she depicts people crying — women saying farewell to their parents or small boys crying…. The author obviously wants to portray Uzbek people as barbarians.

Ahmedova has many pictures of women doing work, in particular household chores, which makes it seem that Uzbekistan doesn’t have any other profession but cleaning.

Ahmedova tries hard to present Uzbek women as victims. Even a picture of a woman in the park, she is depicted with her hands bound.

After listing all possible malicious intentions Ahmedova might have had while presenting her photographs, the commission arrives at its final verdict: «Ahmedova prepared the photo album with self-interest. It does not fulfill the aesthetic requirements. In other words, the distribution of such an album to the wider public should be prevented.»

http://www.rferl.org/content/The_Photographer_Who_Portrays_Uzbeks_As_Barbarians/1931271.html

The media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says it is alarmed by the recent interrogation of five independent journalists by Uzbek officials, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reports.

RSF’s Europe and former USSR desk chief Elsa Vidal told RFE/RL on January 13 that the organization is concerned the interrogations might be part of a new crackdown on journalists.

Vidal said RSF notes that the journalists who were interrogated and accused of cooperating with foreign media outlets are working in difficult conditions.

Vidal said the European Union «must [continue] to defend human rights.» She added that Uzbek civil society is in great need of help.

On January 7, assistant Tashkent prosecutor Bahram Nurmatov «invited» several journalists who have worked or currently work for foreign media outlets to the Prosecutor-General’s Office for meetings.

Invitees included Vasil Markov, Sid Yanishev (also known as Said Abdurakhimov), Marina Kozlova, and former RFE/RL correspondent Khusnitdin Kutbitdinov.

The next day, journalists Aleksei Volosevich and Andrei Kudryashov received similar invitations.

Yanishev and Kutbitdinov said they were told the questioning was initiated after National Security Service and Foreign Ministry files on the journalists’ activities were sent to the prosecutor’s office.

Both said they were questioned about their professional activities and foreign payments they received.

Nurmatov reportedly described some of their articles as «biased and tendentious» and as a «slight on the dignity of the Uzbek government.»

http://www.rferl.org/content/Media_Watchdog_Alarmed_By_Interrogations_Of_Uzbek_Journalists/1929343.h

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned the prosecution of media activists in Kazakhstan, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reports.

The New-York based group issued a statement calling for Kazakh officials to «immediately stop the unfounded prosecution» of Raushan Esergepova, the wife of jailed «Alma-Ata Info» newspaper editor Ramazan Esergepov; Rozlana Taukina, the head of the Kazakh nongovernmental organization Journalists in Trouble; and Vladimir Kozlov, the leader of the unregistered opposition group Alga.

Kozlov was found guilty on January 12 for violating a law on holding rallies and ordered to pay a fine of about $50. Esergepova’s administrative trial began today, while the court case of Taukina was postponed indefinitely.

All three rally organizers said the charges against them are politically motivated.

CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said on January 11 that the Kazakh government «must demonstrate tolerance for freedom of expression that becomes their newly assumed role of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe chair.»

The three organized a flash-mob protest on January 6 in central Almaty under the banner «Freedom To Journalists Convicted For Their Professional Activities,» in support of jailed journalists, including Esergepov; «Vremya» newspaper correspondent Tohniyaz Kuchukov; writer Alpamys Bekturganov; and «Law and Justice» editor in chief Tokbergen Abiev.

Esergepov was found guilty in August of revealing state secrets after publishing some government documents. Abiev was convicted for investigating judicial corruption. Bekturganov was imprisoned after writing a critical article about West Kazakhstan Governor Baktykozha Izmukhambetov, who won a libel case against him.

http://www.rferl.org/content/CPJ_Urges_Kazakhstan_To_Close_Cases_Against_Activists/1928487.html

ASTANA — The Kazakh Interior Ministry says Kyrgyz citizens were involved in the recent murder of a Kyrgyz journalist in Almaty, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reports.

Kazakh Interior Ministry spokesman Kuanyshbek Jumanov said today in Astana that although police discovered that several Kyrgyz were involved in the Gennady Pavlyuk’s murder, he refused to comment on the alleged involvement of Kyrgyz secret service officers.

Jumanov added that Kazakh and Kyrgyz police have agreed to conduct a joint investigation into Pavlyuk’s killing.

A team of Kazakh police investigators and members of Kazakhstan’s Prosecutor-General’s Office led by Lieutenant-Colonel Timur Stamkulov arrived in Bishkek on January 11 to help conduct the investigation into the murder.

Pavlyuk, 51, died in hospital on December 22, six days after he was thrown from a high building in Almaty with his hands and feet bound.

Kazakh media had quoted anonymous Kazakh police sources saying there were indications that three Kyrgyz secret service officers made an appointment with Pavlyuk and may have been present in the apartment from which he was thrown.

But Kyrgyz secret service officials accused the Kazakh media of disseminating false information.

Pavlyuk, an ethnic Russian, was the founder of the «White Steamer» newspaper and website and had worked for the newspaper «Vecherny Bishkek («Evening Bishkek») and the Russian weekly «Argumenty i fakty.»

http://www.rferl.org/content/Kazakh_Interior_Ministry_Says_Kyrgyz_Involved_In_Pavlyuks_Murder_/19286

A trial for three organizers of a rally supporting jailed journalists in Kazakhstan began today in Almaty, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reports.

Raushan Esergepova, the wife of the jailed «Alma-Ata info» newspaper editor Ramazan Esergepov; Vladimir Kozlov, leader of the unregistered opposition group Alga; and Rozlana Taukina, the head of the Kazakh nongovernmental organization Journalists in Trouble, are accused of violating a law on the holding of rallies, marches, and demonstrations in holding a rally last week.

The three say the charges against them are politically motivated.

On January 6, a flash-mob protest action was held in central Almaty to support jailed journalists, including Esergepov, «Vremya» newspaper correspondent Tohniyaz Kuchukov, writer Alpamys Bekturganov, and «Law and Justice» editor in chief Tokbergen Abiev.

Esergepov was found guilty in August of revealing state secrets after publishing some government documents. Abiev was convicted for investigating judicial corruption. Writer and journalist Alpamys Bekturganov was imprisoned after writing a critical article about West Kazakhstan Governor Baktykozha Izmukhambetov, who won a libel case against him.

http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1926321.html

Prices on printing services in Khujand, administrative center of the northern Sughd province have drastically increased, and local newspapers cannot afford such expences.

The government newspapers Khakikati Sughd (4750 copies), Sughd Khakikati (Uzbek-language newspaper, 2000 copies), and Sogdiiskaya Pravda (Russian-language newspaper, 1950 copies) always were printed in the Khujand printing house. According to publishers, they have printed the recent two issues in a printing house in the city of Istravshan. The average cost of one copy in Istravshan is 5-6 Dirams. All the papers mentioned above are published twice a week.

NANSMIT Monitoring Service

Unknown individuals position themselves as employees of the private newspaper Varorud.

In this regard, the Varorud editing board approached heads of public agencies and private organizations to make sure that the visitors are real journalists.

Administration of Varorud decided to produce new ID cards for its employees.

Note: Varorud is a media holding comprising of a news agency and a weekly. It operates in Tajikistan’s Sughd province.

NANSMIT Monitoring Service

Uzbekistan’s Prosecutor-General’s Office interrogated two independent journalists today in Tashkent, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reports.

The prosecutor’s office «invited» several journalists who have worked or currently work for foreign media outlets to come for meetings, including Basil Markov, Sid Yanishev, Marina Kozlova, and former RFE/RL correspondent Khusnitdin Kutbitdinov.

Yanishev and Kutbitdinov held their meetings today. Markov and Kozlova have said they will refuse to attend such a meeting unless they are ordered to do so.

Yanishev told RFE/RL that Bahram Nurmatov, the assistant to Tashkent’s prosecutor-general, told him the interrogation was initiated after National Security Service and Foreign Ministry files on Yanishev’s activities were sent to the prosecutor’s office.

Yanishev said he was shown his file and was interrogated about his activities. He said he was questioned about which international conferences he had attended, foreign payments he received, and any contact with foreign embassies.

Yanishev said he was asked to sign an explanatory note at the end of the questioning. He said that no charges were officially brought against him.

Kutbitdinov told RFE/RL that Nurmatov told him there were reports that he had provided «discrediting information» to foreign websites using pseudonyms. Kutbitdinov said told Nurmatov he was unfamiliar with the pseudonyms and did not write any of the information that was shown to him.

Galima Bukharbaeva, an independent Uzbek journalist and editor of uznews.net who lives in exile in Europe, told RFE/RL that the interrogation procedure at the prosecutor’s office is a typical practice used by the Uzbek government to intimidate journalists in Uzbekistan.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Uzbek_Prosecutors_Office_Interrogates_Independent_Journalists_/1923684.

A rally was held in central Almaty today in support of jailed journalists in Kazakhstan, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reports.

The event was held under the banner «Freedom to journalists convicted for their professional activities» and marked the first anniversary of the arrest of Ramazan Esergepov, editor of the weekly newspaper «Alma-Ata Info,» who was sentenced to three years in prison in 2009 for publishing classified documents.

Police monitored the event, which remained peaceful. It was organized by Esergepov’s wife, Raushan Esergepova, the Kazakh nongovernmental organization Journalists in Trouble, the political group Alga, the opposition National Social-Democratic Party, and the Azat (Freedom) party.

Activists released balloons with the names of jailed journalists, including Esergepov, «Vremya» newspaper correspondent Tohniyaz Kuchukov, writer Alpamys Bekturganov, and «Law and Justice» editor in chief Tokbergen Abiev.

Rozlana Taukina, the head of Journalists in Trouble, told RFE/RL that the action is aimed at reminding society about human rights violations in Kazakhstan.

Esergepov was found guilty in August of revealing state secrets after publishing some government documents.

Abiev was convicted for investigating judicial corruption.

Bekturganov was imprisoned after writing a critical article about West Kazakhstan region Governor Baktykozha Izmukhambetov.

Activists told RFE/RL they believe Kuchukov — who was sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a deadly traffic accident — was also convicted for his journalistic activities, because of his strict sentence.

Esergepova told RFE/RL that she had visited her husband in prison on New Year’s Eve. She said she hoped he would be released on parole soon, since he has served one-third of his sentence.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Kazakhs_Rally_In_Almaty_To_Support_Jailed_Journalists/1922549.html

The leading voice of Kyrgyzstan’s opposition has alleged government involvement in a recent journalist’s murder and claimed correspondence in the hands of investigators sheds light on the motive, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reports.

Journalist Gennady Pavlyuk, 51, died on December 22 of injuries suffered six days earlier when he was thrown from a building in Almaty, in neighboring Kazakhstan, with his hands and feet bound.

The leader of Kyrgyz opposition Ata-Meken (Fatherland) party, Omurbek Tekebaev, told RFE/RL that he gave Kazakh investigators e-mails between himself and Pavlyuk that help explain why the current Kyrgyz government wanted Pavlyuk dead.

Tekebaev said it is evident from the correspondence that Pavlyuk — who was working on the creation of a website and a newspaper for Ata-Meken — supported opposition parties and worked hard to change Kyrgyzstan’s political leadership.

Tekebaev said the messages reflect the slain journalist’s views of the Kyrgyz government along with his civic values and ideals, and added that the e-mails should be a source of pride to Pavlyuk’s family and friends.

Tekebaev said Pavlyuk had recently been forging the information and ideological policies of Ata-Meken.

He said those who allegedly ordered Pavlyuk’s death were motivated by the knowledge that it would be hard for the opposition to find anyone who could complete his projects.

Tekebaev said Pavlyuk’s death should be seen as a warning not only to Ata-Meken but also to all opposition activists, rights defenders, and independent journalists in Kyrgyzstan.

Pavlyuk was the founder of the «White Steamer» newspaper and website and had worked for the newspaper «Vecherny Bishkek» (Evening Bishkek) and the Russian weekly «Argumenty i fakty.»

Kazakh media quoted police sources in that country saying over the weekend that there were indications that Kyrgyz secret service officers may have been involved in Pavlyuk’s murder.

Kyrgyz intelligence officials countered that Kazakh media were disseminating lies.

The Kyrgyz opposition has called Pavlyuk’s death an attack on press freedom and alleged it was part of the government’s campaign to silence dissent.

The killing was sharply condemned by international human rights organizations, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Reporters Without Borders.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Kyrgyz_Opposition_Leader_Claims_Government_Ordered_Journalists_Death/19