DUSHANBE, October 9, Asia-Plus – Tajikistan’s authorities have ordered to block an access to a number of websites.
Khurshed Rajabmahmadov, the deputy head of the State Communication Inspectorate (SCI) of the Ministry of Communications, said in an interview with Asia-Plus justified this decision by saying that reports released by those websites “undermine the state’s information policy.” “Recommending the local Internet-providers to block a number of websites, we have acted in the line with president’s decree of 2003 “On Concept of the Information Security of the Republic of Tajikistan,” which provides for forming the state policy in the field of ensuring the national information security,” Rajabmahmadov said, noting that reports released by those websites have anti-state character, propagating racial and ethnic enmity.
According to him, to provide information security they consider it necessary “to filtrate a number of websites and block access the them. Among them are
www.centrasia.ru
;
www.ferghana.ru
;
www.TajikistanTimes.ru
;
www.charogiruz.ru
and
www.arianastorm.com
.
Answering to the question why they have blocked access to these websites now but not earlier, Rajabmahmadov said that reports harming the state’s policy had been released by them lately. HE added that filtration of the Internet-segment is under way and the possibility of some other websites, containing anti-state agitation, also being blocked cannot be ruled out.
“On October 5, we have sent letters to all 12 Internet-providers active in Tajikistan requesting to block the access to the mentioned sites within ten days,” the SCI deputy head said. He added that the mentioned site will be unblocked if they stop “releasing negative information.”
