DUSHANBE, June 6, 2013, Asia-Plus – Regional independent television channel K+ has been available in Tajikistan again since June 5.
We will recall that access to K+ Channel was blocked on May 28. Shortly before that, K+ has repeatedly broadcast a program in the Tajik language with participation of Tajik opposition journalist Dodojon Atovulloyev criticizing President Emomali Rahmon. A homemade video depicting President Rahmon dancing at his son’s wedding was shown during the program. Access to K+ was blocked three days after the video was aired. The wedding in question took place three years ago.
Some experts suggested that access to the K+ Channel had been blocked because of that program but specialists from the Tajik communications service agency asserted that it was impossible to block access to a satellite channel.
K+ is a satellite channel that broadcasts news from Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The programming, believed to be pro-opposition in some republics, is available via satellite, online on the channel’s official website, as well as on YouTube.
K+ has not been available in Kazakhstan since December 2012. A court in Almaty handed down a ruling on December 6, 2012 prohibiting the broadcast in Kazakhstan of any material produced by K+ or its affiliates.
