Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan all showed significant decreases in corruption over the past year, according to a recently published worldwide survey by a Berlin-based watchdog group. The survey also showed that Armenia’s rating declined, and the rest of the Central Asian states remained near the bottom of the rankings.

Transparency International (TI), which has been measuring global corruption for over a decade, came out with its Corruption Perceptions Index for 2009 on November 17. Central Asia, according to the survey, remained a sinkhole of graft. Perhaps the only bright spot was Kazakhstan, which saw its rating rise from 2.2 in 2008 to 2.7 this year. The rating is measured on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is the most corrupt and 10 the least corrupt. The 2.7 score put Kazakhstan in 120th place of the 180 countries surveyed by TI this year.

The other former Soviet Central Asian states did not see their rankings change significantly in 2009 over their slots in previous years. Tajikistan’s rating was 2.0, Kyrgyzstan’s was 1.9 and Turkmenistan’s 1.8. Uzbekistan’s 1.7 put it just six places from the bottom of the table, in 174th place.

According to a TI statement, Kazakhstan’s improvements was linked to «government anti-corruption efforts aimed at improving conditions for foreign direct investment along with the country’s much-discussed upcoming chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2010.» It added, however, that «Kazakhstan’s low … score indicates that corruption remains systemic, with the most problematic areas being the judiciary, police, customs, property rights, land registration and construction projects.»

Kazakhstan’s improvement may have to do more with the type of corruption there, rather than the actual amount, said Eric McGlinchey, a Central Asia expert at George Mason University. «The Kazakhstani government is a stable, stationary bandit that extracts rents in predictable ways. Multinationals as well as local enterprises understand the rules of the game; the judiciary, police, customs, etc., are corrupt but they are predictably corrupt,» he said. «In Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan, in contrast, corruption is constant. Yet the nature of this corruption is ever changing. It’s the unpredictability of this corruption that is most maddening.»

The survey gave mixed marks to countries in the Caucasus. Georgia’s ranking increased from 3.9 to 4.1, good for 66th place and the distinction of being the highest ranked country in the Caucasus and Central Asia. «There is a general consensus among Georgians and the international community that petty corruption has been reduced significantly,» the TI report said. «However, concerns remain regarding high-level corruption and on corrupt practices in the judiciary. The government should focus on promoting greater transparency and public trust in agencies with an anti-corruption role, and it should ensure that related reforms are continuously monitored and assessed.»

Azerbaijan’s ranking increased from 1.9 to 2.3 over the last year, and the country’s score might have been higher if TI had taken into account recently released data, the APA news agency in Baku quoted Fuad Alasgarov, a top anti-corruption official in the government, as saying.

«In June 2009, President Ilham Aliyev issued a decree on strengthening measures against corruption in the management of public and municipal properties. Criminal prosecution for corruption was strengthened and concrete results were achieved,» he said. TI said the improved ranking was mainly «a result of the government’s commitment to improve the business environment and increased general awareness about the importance of curbing corruption.» The report also lauded the work of local anti-corruption non-governmental organizations in Azerbaijan for raising public awareness about problems.

Armenia’s score decreased slightly over the past year, from 2.9 to 2.7. «The political and economic elite continue to exert control over the judiciary, media, business and other institutions,» TI stated.

«Continued inconsistency in implementation of anti-corruption legislation, and in meeting international obligations, as well as unwillingness of the authorities to address grand corruption are among the most critical factors that contribute to continued decrease in the country’s score,» the watchdog group added.

The improvement in the rankings of some former Soviet states was a «surprise,» said Jana Mittermaier, head of Transparency International’s Brussels office, in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. «The reasons for this could be that countries — and governments in particular — came to the conclusion that anti-corruption efforts really pay off when trying to please donors on their conditions for foreign direct investment,» she said.

Posted November 18, 2009 © Eurasianet
http://www.eurasianet.org

Joshua Kucera, EurasiaNet

Источник: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/civilsociety/articles/eav111809.shtml

“The judicial power and the media” is the title of a round table held by the Tajik Union of Journalists on 13 November in Dushanbe. It was attended by representatives of courts and the media.

The meeting was organized within the framework of the project “Support to Tajikistan’s Media” implemented by the Tajik National Association of Mass Media (NANSMIT) under support of the US-based organization National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

Participants discussed the issues of interrelations between the judicial power and the media, as well as problems and perspective cooperation between the power and the press in Tajikistan.

According to Zafar Azizov, deputy chairman of the Tajik Supreme Court, one of the achievements in Tajikistan’s judicial system is the adoption of a new criminal-procedural code by the parliament. This document is very timely, and it is brought in compliance with both the Constitution and the international legal standards.

According to the new code, from now on the issues of arrest sanctions, measures of restraint and detention will be considered only by courts.

Azizov also said that many citizens cannot properly protect themselves since they are not aware of their rights. “The media can play an essential role in public awareness. Journalists should provide citizens with comprehensive and objective information”, — he added.

NANSMIT Monitoring Service

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1. JR 110 Society and the Press 6 hrs
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Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has signed a decree that will grant amnesty to an estimated 10,000 prisoners, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reports.

A Tajik Presidential Press Service spokespeson told journalists that the amnesty will pardon mainly convicts who were under 18 years when they committed their crimes, men and women over 55, and foreign nationals.

The amnesty was announced on the eve of Constitution Day, marked in Tajikistan on November 6. It is not clear if the action will free those considered to be political prisoners or people convicted of religious extremism.

A presidential press service spokesman said a special commission is reviewing all the cases to decide which prisoners will be granted an amnesty.

The press service did not say when it expected the prisoners to be freed from prison.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Tajik_President_To_Pardon_Thousands_Of_Convicted_Criminals_/1870513.htm

Kyrgyz journalist Kubanychbek Joldoshev says an attack that left him hospitalized with a concussion was politically motivated, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reports.

Joldoshev, 29, was severely beaten by three unknown assailants on November 2. He suffered head injuries and broken bones in the attack.

He told RFE/RL that the taxi he was in was stopped by police and the taxi driver taken away by them to check «to see if he was intoxicated.»

Joldoshev said as soon as the police left with the taxi driver, three men approached the taxi and started beating him.

Local police officials deny that the attack was premeditated. They claim Joldoshev was slightly drunk himself, but said the police who took the taxi driver for a checkup are being investigated.

Turgunbay Jumabaev, the chief of the Investigations Committee in Osh, told RFE/RL that the attack is being considered an act of hooliganism.

Joldoshev is a correspondent for the local newspaper «Osh Shamy» (The Torch of Osh). He used to work as a correspondent for RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service.

The chief editor of «Osh Shamy,» Turgunbay Aldakulov, told RFE/RL that he and his colleagues believe the attack is most likely connected with Joldoshev’s professional activities and should not be investigated as an act of hooliganism.

The attack on him was the seventh against a journalist in Kyrgyzstan this year.

Abduvahab Moniev, an independent Kyrgyz journalist who was severely beaten by unknown assailants earlier this summer, told RFE/RL that none of his attackers was found.

Almaz Ismanov, who represents the regional Internet resource center «Oazis,» told RFE/RL that after a local journalist was shot dead in Osh two years ago, local journalists have been reluctant to cover controversial issues.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Beaten_Kyrgyz_Journalist_Recounts_Brutal_Attack_Against_Him/1870052.htm

Kyrgyz journalist Kubanychbek Joldoshev was beaten by unknown assailants and hospitalized in Osh on November 2, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reports.

Joldoshev, a former RFE/RL correspondent, was working for the «Osh Shamy» newspaper.

«Osh Shamy» editor Turgunbay Aldakulov told RFE/RL that three unknown assailants attacked Joldoshev as he was returning home.

He suffered a concussion and other head injuries.

Joldoshev’s colleages say the attack is connected with his professional activities. He covered Osh University student protests last month.

Several journalists have been threatened or severely beaten in Kyrgyzstan this year.

Others have sought and received asylum in Western countries.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Kyrgyz_Journalist_Recovering_After_Being_Beaten_In_Osh/1867497.html

A foundation conference on the creation of the Media Council of Tajikistan took place in Dushanbe on 30 October. The conference was convened by the Tajik Union of Journalists, the Tajik National Association of Independent Mass Media (NANSMIT), the Tajik Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANESMI), the Tajik Journalist Memorial Foundation and the OSCE Center in Tajikistan.

The conference was attended by heads of Tajik media organizations, editors and publishers and representatives of international media organizations accredited in Tajikistan.

Chairman of NANSMIT Nuriddin Karshibaev stressed inter alia that the main goal of the new Media Council is to monitor ethical standards in Tajikistan’s mass media. The Council also will be facilitating the media agencies in resolving conflicts in a pre-trial order.

Participants of the conference ratified the main self-regulating document of the Media Council – “Ethical Standards for the Tajik Mass Media”. It is said in the preamble of the “Standards” that “the adopted ethical norms do not limit the freedom of speech; on the contrary, these standards serve to the improvement of quality of publications and ensure security for media professionals”.

The Media Council is open to any medium regardless of the form of property and ideological affiliation. The main condition for accession is observance of the “Ethical Standards”.

Participants of the conference elected the chairman of the Media Council – Professor Ibragim Usmanov, head of the International Journalism Faculty under the Tajik National University.

NANSMIT Monitoring Service

In October 2009 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; five reports describe direct violations of rights of media professionals; and five 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

15 October
State TV and Radio Committee, Dushanbe

Abdurakhmon Abdumanonov, deputy chairman of the Tajik Broadcasting Committee under the Government told the media that “The Committee is ready to cooperate with the Russian RTR TV channel on mutually beneficial conditions”.

According to Abdumanonov, the Tajik side has not received any business proposals from the Russian TV company.

15 October
State TV and Radio Committee, Dushanbe

Samad Khikmatov, deputy chair of the Tajik Broadcasting Committee under the Government told the media that the Russian federal TV company RTR owes the Tajik Teleradiocom broadcasting facility more than 7 million Russian rubles. On 2 April Teleradiocom assumed a final decision to stop re-broadcasting RTR’s programs on the Tajik territory.

21 October
Jumanazar Rakhmatov, head of the State Finance and Corruption Control in Sughd province, Khujand

Jumanazar Rakhmatov, head of the State Finance and Corruption Control in Sughd province expressed his dissatisfaction with poor cooperation between his agency and the mass media.

Speaking at a press conference, Rakhmatov stressed that a few months ago journalists suggested to organize a series of TV shows, a number of publications to better inform the public about the Finance and Corruption Control Agency’s activities, but after a while, everybody had forgotten about the initiative.”

23 October
Executive authorities in Khatlon province, Kurgan-Tube

A “voluntary-forced” subscription campaign is underway in the southern city of Kulyab in Khatlon province. The NANSMIT monitoring service was told that the local executive authorities decided that 900 residents of Kulyab must subscribe to the Jumkhuriyat weekly (the cost of annual subscription is 82 Somoni). The other 800 residents must learn about developments in Tajikistan exclusively from the Sadoi Mardum weekly (the Tajik parliament’s printing body; annual subscription is 78 Somoni), 650 citizens are obliged to read the Minbari Khalk newspaper (printing body of the President’s People-Democratic Party 63,5 Somoni), 200 people must read the Russial-language Narodnaya Gazeta (the government newspaper 68 Somoni), 100 people – Ovozi Khalk (government outlet in Uzbek language 87 Somoni), 400 – Khatlon (local administration, 45 Somoni), 300 – Khamrozi Khalk (local branch of the President’s political party, 28 Somoni), 250 – Javononi Tojikiston (the State Youth Committee’s outlet, 57 Somoni), and the Bonuvoni Tojikiston, a special magazine for women must find 400 of is subscribers who have to pay 92 Somoni for the annual subscription.

The NANSMIT monitoring service reports that the subscription campaign in Khatlon proved to be a complete failure.

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

3 October
Tajik television, Dushanbe

On 3 October the Tajik television celebrated its 50-th anniversary. The most turbulent development of both the national and private television in Tajikistan was seen during the years of independence.

8 October
All media

“The articles in the Tajik legislation defining responsibility for libel and defamation impose limits on democratic principles of the freedom of speech and hamper the development of the national media,” – said Nuriddin Karshibaev, chairman of NANSMIT speaking at the OSCE forum on human development in Warsaw, Poland.

According to Karshibaev, people are afraid of applying their constitutional rights – freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

The Asia Plus weekly published an open letter by Ozodbek Khosabekov, a journalist from Gorno-Badakhshan, who raised concerns about corruption in one of the executive structures in GBAO. The author received a criminal punishment, and when he appealed against the judge, he was received another punishment – for defamation of the judge.
Now, he is facing another trial – civil hearings in court, and a big penalty. While trying to protect Khosabekov, Tajik media organizations faced corporative interests and arrogance of judicial authorities.

Karshibaev says that the Tajik media work in extreme conditions. According to sociological studies, more than 40 percent of the non-state Tajik media are on the verge of bankruptcy. The government media receive subsidies from the state budget. Managers of the leading Tajik media agencies asked the government to develop a program of support to the media in conditions of crisis, but the request found no response.

21 October
Reporters Without Borders, Dushanbe

According to the Press Freedom Index, a report recently published by Reporters Without Borders, Tajikistan has the 113-th position in the rating of freedom of speech in the countries of Europe and the CIS. Tajikistan is the best among its Central Asian neighbors.

According to the report, Kyrgyzstan has the 125-th position, and Kazahstan is 142-nd. RWB experts say that the most repressive countries are Uzbekistan (160) and Turkmenistan (173). These are the countries, where no serious alterations have occurred; journalists are exposed to censorship, despotism and violence.

The best situation is in the Baltic States. Russia has the 153-rd position. The best countries in the RWB list are Denmark, Finland and Ireland.

3. Journalists protecting their civil and professional rights

2 October
All media, Dushanbe

The Tajik Union of Journalists discussed the constituent documents for the Media Council and the draft Ethical Standards for Journalists. The Media Council is designed as a new public body to monitor observation of these standards.

A working group in charge of developing constituent documents for the new Council was created in May 2009. The final draft will be presented for endorsement in October at the plenary session of the Union of Journalists.

3 October
All media, Dushanbe

On 25 September the public organization “Khoma”, NANSMIT and TajANESMI held a round table in Dushanbe on the topic “Strong media is the guarantee of state security in Tajikistan”. Participants adopted a statement addressed to the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rakhmon.

Inter alia, the statement says that there are only two countries among the CIS, where audio and video production must be licensed. Regrettably, Tajikistan is one of these two countries.

The statement also says that the information vacuum in Tajikistan is being filled with TV programs of other countries. At the same time, 25 private TV and radio companies and an unknown number of audio and video production studios cannot receive their license for years.

A group of journalists, employees of television and radio, heads of local and foreign media organizations hope that the President, as the guarantor of the Constitution, will support the development of the electronic media and the cinema industry in Tajikistan.

II. VIOLATION OF RIGHTS IN THE MEDIA

1. Impediments to professional activities

20 October
TRK TV, Kanibadam, Sughd province

Dilbar Saidova, correspondent of the TV company Anis wanted to produce a story about the selling of goods of poor quality at the local market. Ms. Solekha Vakhobova, the mayor’s office press secretary adviced Saidova to restrain from her desire, referring to the moratorium of the Tajik State Standard Agency on the checking of certificates among entrepreneurs.

2. Ungrounded limitations in access to information

1 October
All media, Kulyab, Khatlon province

Journalists in Kulyab are concerned about limitations in access to information, especially for young journalists. Media professionals working in Khatlon province told the NANSMIT Monitoring Service that access to information strongly depends on personal relations and attitudes between journalists and officials.

3. Violation of economic rights in the media

3 October
Kulyabskaya Pravda, Khatlon province

The Kulyabi public-political newspaper “Kulyabskaya Pravda” lost the Internet services.

Rustam Odinaev, editor of the newspaper told the NANSMIT Monitoring Service that they used to have problems with their provider – Tojiktelecom, but on the 1 October the connection fully disappeared.

Odinaev also said that the newspaper always timely pays for the Internet services, but problems persist.

20 October
Makhmud Kuldoshev, entrepreneur, Kanibadam, Sughd province

There is only one newspaper kiosk in the city of Kanibadam. The kiosk is built on personal savings of Makhmud Kuldoshev, an independent journalist, who jointly with his wife sells Tajik newspapers there.

After the recent reconstruction of the local market place, the city administration asked the entrepreneur to clean the place, which is needed for construction of a big store. Kuldoshed moved the kiosk down the road, but now, he is having problems with the traffic police.

III. CONFLICTS. VIOLATIONS INCRIMINATED TO THE MEDIA AND JOURNALISTS

1. Claim for protection of honor, dignity and business reputation affected by publication of certain data

1 October
Newspaper Paikon, Dushanbe

The newspaper Paikon (#29, 01.10.09) published a letter by deputy chairman of the Tajik Council of Justice, where the author accuses the newspaper of falsity of information.

5 October
Minister of Education, Dushanbe

On 5 October, at a press conference in Dushanbe Abdujabbor Rakhmonov, Minister of Education expressed dissatisfaction about publications in the Tajik media.

According to Rakhmonov, “some of the media touch upon honor and dignity of certain individuals”.

5 October
All media, Dushanbe

Farkhod Rakhimov, deputy Minister of Education told the media at a press conference in Dushanbe that many journalists are not objective in covering the legal hearings on the conflict between the Ministry of Education and the Tajik Institute of Innovative Technologies. After 11 hearings the Dushanbe City Economic Court made a decision in favor of the Ministry of Education, but the media ignored this fact.

29 October
Newspaper Paikon, Dushanbe

The Firdousi District Court in Dushanbe made a decision on moral compensation to the Tajik Standard Agency by the Paikon weekly in the amount of 300 thousand Somoni (about $69 thousand).

Jumaboi Tolibov, editor of Paikon told the Monitoring Service that the Tajik Standard applied to the court after the publication containing criticism of this agency.

A group of Tajik entrepreneurs expressed concern over a number of decisions made by Tajik Standard, which – in opinion of the businessmen – impedes the development of entrepreneurship in Tajikistan.

Tolibov said that the decision of the court is ungrounded and he is going to appeal to a higher judicial instance.

This report is based on 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