DUSHANBE, February 19, 2011, Asia-Plus – In response to U.S. criticism of alleged reprisals against the independent media, the Tajik Foreign Ministry has reaffirmed his country”s respect for its obligations as a member of the UN and the OSCE, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reported on February 19.
Ministry spokesman Davlat Nazriyev told RFE/RL that Tajik Ambassador to the OSCE
Nouriddin Shamsov has officially responded to all the concerns U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE Ian Kelly raised on February 17 at the OSCE Permanent Council session in Vienna.
Kelly expressed “grave concern” over the state of media freedom in Tajikistan and several other OSCE member states.
Kelly highlighted three separate incidents in Tajikistan.
He said on February 7, Hikmatullo Sayfullozoda, editor of the Islamic Revival Party”s newspaper and party spokesman, was called out of his house in Dushanbe and beaten. Sayfullozoda, 60, was hospitalized with severe head injuries. Kelly called on the Tajik government to conduct a thorough investigation into the attack and ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable.
Kelly further noted that the editor of the independent weekly newspaper
Paykon
was summoned to appear in court on February 10 to respond to charges by the Justice Ministry that its affiliate, the Center of Investigative Journalism, is improperly registered. The ministry asked the court to close the organization because it did not register a change of address which was simply a move to a different floor in the same building.
Observers question whether the Justice Ministry is punishing the newspaper for a critical article about a recent court decision to close a downtown shopping mall. A separate libel case against
Paykon
, filed by Tajikistan”s product licensing agency, also remains open.
In the third case, a court in Dushanbe on February 9 ordered the newspaper
Millat
to pay the Agriculture Ministry 1,500 somoni ($337) after finding it guilty of libeling the ministry by calling it the “most corrupt” government body. The editor in chief of
Millat
called the verdict unfair, noting that the newspaper report was based on a government study.
In response to Kelly”s charges, Nazriyev said the Tajik government has asked for a comprehensive investigation of the attack on Sayfullozoda and that the legal aspects of the dispute between
Paykon
and the Justice Ministry must be properly addressed. He added that
Millat
has appealed the court ruling, which will be referred to a higher court.
