The Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) says 2009 was the deadliest year for journalists across the globe and a record year for the number of reporters arrested or detained. More than 70 journalists lost their lives in 2009 while on the job.

The international media watchdog, which unveiled its annual survey at United Nations headquarters in New York on February 16, said Iran is carrying out one of the world’s most severe crackdowns on journalists, with more than 90 reporters arrested last year. At least 47 of them remain in prison, according to CPJ.

Robert Mahoney, deputy director of CPJ, said the Iranian authorities have become adept at using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter against the very journalists who rely on them.

«Facebook, which the Iranian government is now using to go after and find dissidents and journalists, mining their data, seeing who their friends are — they’re turning the technology that should liberate the press against the press,» he said.

Maziar Bahari is a «Newsweek» correspondent who was detained in Iran last year and held for four months following the street protests that erupted after the disputed June presidential elections. He said the Iranian authorities are employing new tactics to harass journalists. He noted that a proposal is being mulled to make it a crime for Iranian citizens to work for foreign media.

«The Iranian authorities, especially the Revolutionary Guards, even though they have not passed this law yet, have said they are going to [make it] a crime to work for Persian media outside of Iran,» Bahari said. «So, anyone who works for BBC Persian, VOA Persian, or Radio Farda which is the Iranian version of Radio Liberty, can be accused of espionage and can be tried as a spy. And as my interrogator once told me, we all know what the punishment is for a spy — execution.”

The CPJ’s Mahoney said that despite the grim data, activists and organizations like the UN should persistently urge governments to respect freedom of expression. «We do believe that constant advocacy on behalf of journalists, bringing their plight into the public sphere, making sure that no victim of a repressive government remains anonymous — can help,» he said. «And it did help in the case of Maziar [Bahari], who was freed, and with other journalists who have been freed.»

Part of the reason, Mahoney said, for CPJ to want affiliation with the United Nations is that CPJ believes the UN mandate is to protect peace and promote human rights. He expressed his hope that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will take an active role in defending the freedom of expression.

«I would like the secretary-general to make a more assertive and firm stand in defense of freedom of expression,» Mahoney said. «Freedom of expression matters. It is a prime pillar of democracy.»

http://www.rferl.org/content/Media_Watchdog_Appeals_To_UN_To_Protect_Journalists_/1960770.html

MOSCOW — Some 20 supporters of an award-winning Uzbek photographer found guilty of defamation held a rally outside the Uzbek Embassy in Moscow today, RFE/RL’s Russian Service reports.

A Tashkent court on February 10 found Umida Ahmedova, 54, guilty of portraying her nation as «backward» in a collection of photographs and a documentary she made depicting people’s lives in rural Uzbekistan.

Uzbek officials called the photographs and documentary «insulting» and «damaging to the country’s image.» The court granted Ahmedova amnesty after the verdict was announced. She could have been sentenced to six months in prison or up to two years in a labor camp.

Ahmedova told RFE/RL that although she left the courtroom a free woman, she did not do anything wrong and will appeal the verdict.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Muscovites_Rally_For_Uzbek_Photographer_Convicted_Of_Libel/1955667.html

TASHKENT — Uzbek photographer Umida Ahmedova said today she would appeal the guilty verdict against her for defamation, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reports.

Ahmedova, 54, was found guilty by a Tashkent court of portraying her country as «backward» for a collection of photographs and a documentary depicting the daily struggles of people in rural Uzbekistan.

Uzbek officials had ruled the photographs and documentary were «insulting» and «damaging to the country’s image.»

The court granted Ahmedova amnesty after the verdict was announced. She could have been sentenced to six months in prison or up to two years in a labor camp.

Ahmedova told RFE/RL that although she left the courtroom a free woman, she did not do anything wrong and will therefore appeal the verdict.

An award-winning photographer, Ahmedova’s projects were financed by the Swiss Embassy in Tashkent.

Ahmedova was initially arrested and charged on December 16. Last month, authorities presented Ahmedova’s lawyer with the findings of an Uzbek panel of experts who studied her film and photos.

The panel accused Ahmedova of portraying Uzbek people’s lives and their traditions in a negative light, giving the impression that Uzbeks are «barbarians» living in the Middle Ages.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Uzbek_Photographer_To_Appeal_Guilty_Verdict/1955079.html

(RFE/RL) — A Kazakh court has struck down a ruling blocking the press from printing potentially damaging material about the president’s son-in-law.

The Medeu district court today also dismissed Timur Kulibaev’s lawsuit against five independent and opposition newspapers, which had reported on corruption allegations against him.

Today’s move comes a day after sharp criticism from Europe’s top security and rights body, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), whose media-freedom representative called the lawsuit a dangerous attempt at censorship.

The same court last week seized the entire print runs of the newspapers and barred media outlets from publishing any information that could damage Kulibaev’s reputation.

Kulibaev last month filed lawsuits against «Respublika,» «Golos respubliki» (Voice of the Republic), «Vzglyad» (Glance), «Kursiv,» and «Kursiv-News» after they printed a statement by an exiled Kazakh businessman and politician.

In the statement, Mukhtar Ablyazov alleged that Kulibaev illegally obtained tens of millions of dollars in a deal with the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) several years ago.

Speaking today to journalists in the capital, Astana, Kulibaev refused to comment on the allegations, which Ablyazov also sent to the Prosecutor-General’s Office, political parties, and politicians:

«Let’s not comment on this. The reason is simple: the law enforcement agencies are taking care of it,» Kulibaev said. «Once they come up with a conclusion, we can talk about it.»

Following today’s ruling, representatives of three of the newspapers («Respublika,» «Vzglyad,» and «Svoboda slova») said they planned to seek compensation from Kulibaev for the libel lawsuits he filed against them.

OSCE Criticism

The original court ruling appears to have embarrassed authorities in Kazakhstan, which this year became the first former Soviet republic to chair the OSCE, Europe’s main democracy watchdog.

Kazakhstan rejected criticism of its human rights track record in the run-up to the OSCE chairmanship, saying it was gradually implementing liberal reforms.

On February 8, the OSCE media-freedom representative criticized what he called the «misuse» of libel laws to muzzle the press in Kazakhstan.

In a statement, Miklos Haraszti specifically mentioned the confiscation of the five newspapers. He described the lawsuits as «dangerous attempts at censorship» and said the harsh punishments sought endangered «the very existence of the few critical-minded media outlets» that remain in the country.

Later the same day, the chairman of Kazakhstan’s Supreme Court, Musabek Alimbekov, told journalists that the Medeu district court judge «could have made a mistake in imposing the ban.»

But Alimbekov added that «judges’ mistakes can be fixed, in case [their decisions] have not fully entered into force and if they are still under review. That is what the judicial system is for. The judicial actions of one organ can be fixed by the judicial actions of the next authority.»

Presidential Son-In-Law

Kulibaev is often tipped as a possible successor to President Nursultan Nazarbaev. He is deputy chairman of Samruk-Kazyna, the state body that oversees all of Kazakhstan’s energy companies — oil, natural gas, and nuclear.

Kulibaev is also chairman of the board of directors of the KazAtomProm state uranium producer and KazMunaiGaz, the state gas company, as well as Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the state railway company.

Ablyazov, the source of the allegations about Kulibaev’s financial involvement with CNPC, is a former banker and politician who is himself accused of embezzlement. He now lives in London.

RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service contributed to this report.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Kazakh_Court_Overturns_Media_Criticism_Ban/1952739.html

(RFE/RL) — A prominent Uzbek photographer and film director has gone on trial in Tashkent for her work, deemed by the Uzbek authorities to be «insulting» and «damaging to the country’s image.»

Umida Ahmedova, 54, has been charged with defamation for her collection of photos, «Woman and Man: From Dawn till Night,» documenting the lives and hardships of Uzbek villagers, as well as her documentary film, «The Burden of Virginity,» which focuses on Uzbek wedding and marriage customs.

If found guilty, Ahmedova faces up to two years in a labor camp or six months in prison.

She rejects the charges as «groundless,» saying her works merely reflect Uzbekistan’s customs and traditions.

In Paris, the International Association of Art Critics (AICA) has launched a campaign in her support, calling on the Uzbek authorities to acquit her. The organization’s appeal was signed by nearly 1,000 artists, art critics, journalists, and rights activists from around the world.

‘Expert Panel’

Ahmedova told RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service today that she did not mean to offend anyone. «It has never occurred to me that my photos would be deemed slander to my country and my nation,» she said. «It’s a very difficult time for me now, in many ways.»
Ahmedova was initially arrested and charged on December 16. Last month, authorities presented Ahmedova’s lawyer with the findings of a panel of experts who studied her film and photos.

The panel accused Ahmedova of portraying Uzbek people’s lives and their traditions in a negative light, giving an impression that Uzbeks are «barbarians» living in the Middle Ages.

(See a slideshow of her photos here.)

Both Ahmedova’s photo collection and her film were financed by the Swiss Embassy in Tashkent.

Controversial Film

The documentary «The Burden of Virginity» was presented by Ahmedova and her film director husband, Oleg Karpov, shortly before International Women’s Day in March 2009.

The two-part film features Uzbeks’ tradition of giving enormous significance to a bride’s virginity on her wedding night.

The documentary shows how many young couples break up straight after the wedding night because the bride has lost her virginity before marriage.

The film features a woman who says she was sent back to her parents’ home after the first night by the groom’s family because she wasn’t a virgin.

Because of the disgrace the lack of virginity brought to her and her family, the woman, now in her 30s, hasn’t been able to find a partner and rebuild her life since.

Uzbek reaction to «The Burden of Virginity» has been mixed, and some critics have found it controversial. Officials at the Swiss Embassy have since distanced themselves from the film.

Ahmedova’s photographs have been exhibited in Tbilisi and Copenhagen among other places. She has won several awards for her work, including the 2004 Grand Prix in Russia’s Inter-Press-Photo contest.

A graduate of the Soviet Union’s prestigious Institute of Cinematography in Moscow, Ahmedova was Uzbekistan’s first female filmmaker.

RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service contributed to this report. With regional media reports

http://www.rferl.org/content/Photographer_Tried_For_Slander_For_Portraying_Unglamorous_Side_Of_Uzbek

Jehovah’s Witnesses in Tajikistan are expecting a verdict from the Supreme Court on their appeal of the decision that terminated the religious group’s activities in the country, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reports.

Yury Toporov, a spokesman in Moscow for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, told RFE/RL that the organization filed an appeal with the Supreme Court in December and, according to the law, a review of the appeal must be made within two months of the filing.

Toporov said the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses was legally registered in Tajikistan in 1994.

But the Culture Ministry banned the religious group’s activities in Tajikistan in October 2007 because the group’s literature attacks other religions, its members actively proselytize, and they have prayer meetings in their homes rather than designated buildings.

On September 29, 2008, a trial judge in Dushanbe dismissed an application by the Jehovah’s Witnesses asking that the Culture Ministry’s decision be overturned. An appeal was also dismissed by the Supreme Court’s Military Collegium in February 2009.

Toporov told RFE/RL: «In fact, Tajik authorities say their country is a modern country respecting all the religious groups and confessions and therefore we believe that Jehovah’s Witnesses will be allowed to gather and to preach their faith in Tajikistan as they used to do before. That would correspond to international standards and Tajikistan’s international obligations.»

http://www.rferl.org/content/Banned_Jehovahs_Witnesses_Appeal_To_Tajik_Supreme_Court/1950502.html

“Independent Tajik media have become more courageous; they attracted attention of citizens to acute social problems, such as corruption and inefficiency of government agencies. This is an explanation to the growing trend of filing legal cases against the media by the authorities”, — said Muhiddin Kabiri, chairman of the Tajik Islamic Renaissance Party.

Kabiri interpreted the actions of officials as “a certain pressure on the media, whereas the latter apply very strong censorship towards themselves”.

“It is obvious that the authorities decided to organize a “united front” [against the private media], since it is not in their interests to make their shortcomings public – when the society learns what’s going on within these [government] structures”.

The political leader advised representatives of “the fourth power” to unite and protect their own interests. “There have been cases when certain journalists or media had to confront the government bureaucracy alone. Some officials feel confident that they can easily intimidate the media, especially private outlets”, — he added.

Kabiri also says that in this situation journalists should publish more audacious articles, since “withdrawal means weakness, which would further stimulate pressure from government officials on the media”.

Asia Plus

With parliamentary elections fast approaching, print journalists in Tajikistan are coming under increasing pressure, media watchdogs say.

The pro-presidential People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT) is widely expected to retain its hammerlock on parliament in the February 28 elections. Even so, media rights groups contend that President Imomali Rahmon’s administration is trying to muzzle media outlets not directly under the government’s control.

«There is clearly an all-out drive to intimidate news media and get them [independent media outlets] to [self-] censor their coverage of state authorities,» the Paris-based group Reporters Without Borders said in a February 1 statement.

There are no daily newspapers in Tajikistan. Of late, independent-minded weeklies have had to cope with the possibility of financial devastation via lawsuits. The Reporters Without Borders statement noted one January 26 case in which a court awarded «astronomical damages» in a suit against the weekly Paykon (Arrowhead) for a report on corruption. «Such high awards threaten the publication’s survival and, therefore, the diversity of the country’s news media, which is already very limited,» the statement said.

More recently, two Supreme Court judges and one judge from the Dushanbe City Court have brought libel suits against three independent weeklies stemming from reports in the publications about corruption in the judicial system, the Asia-Plus news agency reported on February 1. The plaintiffs are seeking approximately $1.2 million in «moral damages,» and for the newspapers’ operating licenses to be suspended while the hearings proceed.

Opposition parties in Tajikistan are in disarray and are not in position to mount a serious challenge to the PDPT in the upcoming voting. But Muhiddin Kabiri, chair of the opposition Islamic Renaissance Party, was quoted by Asia-Plus on February 2 as saying that the government remains wary of the ability of independent outlets to draw attention to «acute social problems, such as corruption and the inefficiency of government agencies.»

«This explains the growing trend of filing legal cases against the media by the authorities,» Kabiri added.

Critics have also pointed to legislation, adopted last fall, which potentially imposes onerous fees to obtain information from official sources. Specifically, the legislation, titled «On the order of payment to government agencies for the provision of information,» requires journalists to pay roughly 10 cents per page for official documents obtained from government employees. The charge ostensibly covers the costs of printing.

Nuriddin Karshibaev, chairman of the National Association of Independent Media in Tajikistan, contended, in an interview with EurasiaNet, that the law violates the Tajik constitution, which guarantees access to information. At the same time, he noted that the legislation wasn’t being enforced.

«So far, there haven’t been any conflicts between the authorities and journalists applying for official information,» said Karshibaev. «Nobody has been asked to pay for any requested data. If such a thing occurs, I believe, our colleagues would bring in a lawsuit against the government agency [that requested payment for information].»

Makhmudkhon Saraev, a representative of the Tajik president’s office, insisted the legislation would not prompt government officials to charge money for interviews. «The government resolution mainly concerns the use of archive materials, whereas oral information must remain free of charge,» Saraev said during a recent roundtable discussion in Dushanbe.

Lidia Isamova, a Tajik journalist and media expert, saw nothing sinister in the legislation. Given that the government is facing a severe budget crunch, it’s not unusual that it would see to reduce expenses in any way possible, Isamova suggested. «Somebody has to pay for paper, printer ink, Xerox equipment, etc,» Isamova said. «I don’t think that any official would try to make a fortune out of such services, and no journalists would be overcharged for it».

What seems to have angered journalists most about the adoption of the legislation was the way in which it was promulgated. «Everything goes in a reverse order,» said one journalist, speaking on condition of anonymity, referring to the legislative process. «A law is first adopted, and then [the public] starts discussing it.»

Editor’s Note: Konstantin Parshin is a freelance journalist based in Tajikistan.
Posted February 5, 2010 © Eurasianet
http://www.eurasianet.org

Konstantin Parshin, EurasiaNet

Источник: http://eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav020510a.shtml

«The Tajik authorities must stop using the judicial system to harass independent news media», Reporters Without Borders said today in reaction to an appeal court’s decision to uphold an astronomical damages award against a news weekly and the announcement of new lawsuits against a total of four leading newspapers.

The damages award of 300,000 somoni (49,000 euros) against the weekly Paykon (“Arrowhead”) was confirmed on 26 January by a Dushanbe court. The newspaper had been ordered to pay this amount on 26 October in a libel suit by Tajikstandart, a government agency that monitors the quality of imported goods.

Last summer, the newspaper published an open letter to President Emomali Rakhmon from a number of businessmen accusing Tajikstandart of corruption and incompetency. Although the agency was accorded the right of reply, it nonetheless brought the legal action claiming that the letter’s authors had used false names.

“Tajikistan’s defamation law should be amended to ensure that damages awards are proportional to the resources of the media concerned,” Reporters Without Borders said. “Such high awards threaten the publication’s survival and therefore the diversity of the country’s news media, which is already very limited.”

The press freedom organisation added: “Aside from the flawed legislation, a new tendency is emerging in the lawsuits that have been brought against the country’s leading independent newspapers in the past few days. With just weeks to go to parliamentary elections on 28 February, there is clearly an all-out drive to intimidate news media and get them to censor their coverage of state authorities.”

The official newspaper Khovar reported on 28 January that the agriculture ministry has brought a libel suit against the leading newspaper Millat (Nation) in which it is demanding 1 million somoni (165,000 euros) in damages. When contacted by Reporters Without Borders, editor Zohir Davlat refused to comment until he received formal notification of the suit.

But he said he was surprised because the offending report, published last December, was “short and purely factual, referring to investigations into corruption within the agriculture ministry that were carried out and published by parliament.” The ministry was accorded the right of reply in this case as well.

Libel actions were brought the next day against three other leading newspapers – Asia-Plus, Ozodagon (“The Independent”) and Faraj – by three supreme court judges and a judge based in the Dushanbe district of Sino over their coverage of a conference about corruption and bias within the Tajik judicial system. The suits demand a total of 5.5 million somoni (900,000 euros) in damages.

One of the plaintiffs, supreme court judge Nur Nurov, has even requested that the newspapers be closed pending the outcome of the case. It is ironic that President Rakhmon himself lambasted the work of the supreme court and prosecutor-general’s office in a recent cabinet meeting.

A Tajik journalist based in Europe told Reporters Without Borders that the lawsuits could be the result of contradictory signals from the government in recent months. The press was emboldened by a meeting between the president and media representatives last autumn and had started publishing more critical articles.

Serving as a reminder that it is dangerous to criticise the authorities, the current lawsuits appear to signal the end of the détente. The journalist also pointed out that, in a February 2009 decree, President Rakhmon had explicitly encouraged government officials to bring actions against news media that criticised them.

Paykon has not been particularly critical of the government since its launch last March although its editor, Jumaboy Tolibov, used to upset the authorities with his investigative reporting and was beaten and given a two-year jail sentence in 2005.

Tajikistan’s last parliamentary elections led to a crackdown on the media and it seems that history could be in the process of repeating itself.

http://www.rsf.org/Officials-bring-libel-actions.html

This report is based upon messages from the Tajik media and the NANSMIT monitoring network.

Moderator of the monitoring network in Tajikistan
Abdufatoh Vohidov

Chief of legal service
Orifjon Azimov

Chief of project in Tajikistan
Nuriddin Karshiboev

Freedom of Speech in Tajikistan
January 2010

In January 2010 the NANSMIT Monitoring Service received 26 reports. Sixteen of them describe the factual situation in the media in the light of socio-legal and political environment; two reports describe direct violations of rights of media professionals; and eight reports describe conflicts and accusations against the media and journalists.

I. PECULIARITIES OF 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

13 January
Lutfullo Davlatov, director of TV Safina, Dushanbe

“TV Safina is ready to cooperate with all political parties and provide them with broadcasting time for election debates”, — Lutfullo Davlatov, director of TV Safina told the media at a press conference in Dushanbe. — “There are no impediments for political parties on our TV channel, and we are ready to consider any proposals from politicians,” — he added.

18 January
G. Afzalov, chairman of Khatlon province

Chairman of Khatlon province G. Afzalov stated that every official must hold press conferences according to preliminary designed schedules, and irresponsible officials will be punished for violation of such schedules. He gave relevant errands to his subordinates urging them to improve the situation.

2. Factual status of the media and the freedom of speech

6 January
Varorud weekly, Khujand, Sughd province

According to the Asia Plus news agency, the public-political newspaper Varorud is launching its original enclosure – “Russloe Slovo” (Russian Word).

Atakhon Ganiv, project coordinator told Asia Plus that the new edition will be covering the issues of Tajik-Russian cooperation, labor migration and other topical themes. Special attention will be paid to Russian language and literature.

Expenditures will be partially covered by a grant provided by the Russian World Foundation.

11 January
Sogdiiskaya Pravda, Khakikati Sughd, Sughd Khakikati, Khujand, Sughd province

The three newspapers belonging to the Sughd province authorities – Sogdiiskaya Pravda (1,950 copies), Khakikati Sughd (4,750 copies) and Sughd Khakikati (2 thousand copies) have changed their printing house. From now on, they will be published in a private printing house “Matbuoti Uroteppa”, 80 kilometers from the city of Khujand, the administrative center of Sughd province. The decision was made jointly by the editors of these newspapers upon commercial feasibility.

15 January
Tajik State TV, Dushanbe

Abdurakhmon Abdumanonov, first deputy chairman of the Tajik State Broadcasting Committee told the media that the Tajik State television is switching to digital broadcasting. On the initial stage, this broadcasting will be covering the territory of Dushanbe.

The Tajik government has adopted a digital broadcasting concept covering the period until 2015. The strategy is discussed and agreed upon with the line ministries. The Broadcasting Committee is ready to invest its own funds for the beginning, but the complete implementation of the strategy would require additional 15,5 million Somoni.

Ambumanonov stressed that the new strategy requires not only essential financial allocations, but also the strengthening of both technical and human potentials.

21 January
Ministry of Culture, Dushanbe

According to Mirzobadal Badalov, head of the printing media unit under the Ministry of Culture, two new dailies will be launched in 2010. In accordance with the new Information Policy Concept, one of the papers must be a daily published in Tajik language, and another one – in one of foreign languages, possibly, in Russian, English, Arabic or Persian.

Since the early 1990-s, there have not been any daily newspapers in Tajikistan.

21 January
Mirzoshohrukh Asrori, Minister of Culture, Dushanbe

Minister of Culture Mirzoshohrukh Asrori told the media at a press conference that the absence of daily newspapers in the country is caused by the reluctance of editors to work rather than by the inability of readers to buy newspapers.

According to the Ministry, 201 newspapers, 98 magazines, 44 publishing firms, 148 printing houses and 7 news agencies are registered in Tajikistan.

21 January
Khatlon province media

According to the Khatlon province officials, since the beginning of 2009, the media have published 196 critical and analytical materials covering developments in Khatlon. Officials have publicly responded to 113 of them. The media have provided 124 feedbacks.

3. Journalists protecting their civil and professional rights

11 January
The Union of Independent Outlets, Dushanbe

Saimuddin Dustov, editor of the Nikoh newspaper is elected chairman of the newly established Union of Independent Outlets.

Speaking at a press conference in Dushanbe, Dustov told that three newspapers decided to join the Union – Farazh, SSSR and Nikokh, and signed a special agreement. The purpose of the Union is to strengthen solidarity among journalists.

14 January
The Tajik Media Council, Dushanbe

On 14 January 2010, the Ministry of Justice registered the Media Council of the Republic of Tajikistan.

Ibrohim Usmanov, chairman of the Media Council told NANSMIT that the purpose of the new public organization is support to the freedom of speech and strengthening of the international ethical media standards.

The Council was founded on 30 October 2009 at a foundation conference attended by journalists from all regions of Tajikistan.

28 January
All media, Dushanbe

On 29-30 January, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) held a training “Protection of human rights and legal education through the media in Central Asia” financed by the European Union.

29 January
All media, Dushanbe

On 28 January, on the eve of the parliamentary elections in Tajikistan, journalists from more than 20 newspapers, radio and TV companies took part in a seminar “The media and elections” held in Dushanbe.

The seminar was conducted by the International Foundation of Election Systems (IFES) under support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Tajik Central Election Committee under the government.

According to Michael Ghetto, head of the IFES office in Dushanbe, the seminar is targeted to mobilization of the media for objective coverage of the election processes in the country.

II. VIOLATION OF RIGHTS IN THE MEDIA

1. Impediments to professional activities

20 January
Asia Plus, Dushanbe

On 18 January, correspondent of the Asia Plus weekly Bakhtior Valiev had a long telephone conversation with colonel Munira Nazarieva of the Tajik Emergency Committee.

The conversation was based on the article titled “Three days under the avalanche”. It contained critical remarks addressed to the Committee made by one of the victims of an avalanche on the road Dushanbe – Khujand, on 20 December 2009.

The correspondent was recommended to check information received from witnesses of accidents and to receive comments at the Emergency Committee for a more objective coverage of events.

6 January
Varorud newspaper, Khujand, Sughd province

Unknown individuals position themselves as correspondents of the Varorud weekly, showing fake identification cards. The impostors discredit the newspaper impeding the work of the real correspondents.

In order to resolve the problem, the Varorud management has given its correspondent new ID cards. Along with that, Varorud approached heads of organizations and enterprises with a request not to provide any information to its correspondents unless they present a real ID or an official letter-request from the editing board.

III. CONFLICTS. VIOLATIONS INCRIMINATED TO THE MEDIA AND JOURNALISTS

1. Accusation of libel

13 January
Ozodagon weekly, Dushanbe

Head of the Traffic Police under the Tajik Interior Ministry, colonel M. Saidov accused the author of an article published in Ozodagon weekly (#1, 13.01.2010) of libel.

Saidov indicates in his response (Ozodagon, #2, 13.01.2010) that the author is confusing the authorities describing non-existing relations between a commercial company and the Traffic Police.

2. Illegal broadcasting (violation of licensing procedures)

15 January
Dushanbe

First deputy chairman of the Tajik Broadcasting Committee Abdurakhmon Abdumanonov told the media on 15 January at a press conference in Dushanbe that the Russian ORT television is functioning illegally in Tajikistan.

Abdumanonov stressed that on the basis of the existing agreement on the status of the 201-st Russian Motorized Division, the latter is allowed to rebroadcast ORT only within its territory. “The broadcasting frequency belongs to the private SMT channel.

However, the official noted that this issue is beyond the competence of his agency; it rather refers to the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The latter has set up a commission to resolve the conflict.

3. Protection of honor, dignity and business reputation

7 January
Nigokh weekly, Dushanbe

Officials from the Khatlon province prosecutor’s office requested the Nuri Zindagi newspaper to publish their response to the article titled “Papa, when will you become a prosecutor?” published in another newspaper – Nigokh (#36, 26.12.2009).

The officials complain that Nigokh refused to publish their feedback, and they turned to another periodical. Besides that, the officials say that the author of the article has a personal dislike to the prosecutor’s office, and the article is written in an offensive manner.

7 January
Millat, Dushanbe

Deputy minister of the Tajik Agriculture Ministry Sh. Rakhimnazorov approached the editor of the Millat weekly with a request to provide them with the facts confirming corruption within his institution. In December 2009, Millat published an article titled “The Ministry of Agriculture is the most corrupt government agency”.

Rakhimnazorov noted that on 7 December the Ministry held a press conference on the issues of cotton farming in the country. However, the newspaper published a material referring to a parliament session, where it was mentioned that the Ministry of Agriculture is rated the first in terms of corruption and misuse of the state budget funds.

The official reminded that according to the Constitution, only the judicial power has the right to pronounce a verdict to a government agency.

This report is based on compiled materials from the media and private information presented by correspondents of the NANSMIT Monitoring Network

Coordinator of the Monitoring Service
Abdufattokh Vokhidov

Project Manager
Nuriddin Karshibayev