“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