DUSHANBE, December 14, Asia-Plus — Hearing of case of three female reporters for the Dushanbe tabloid newspaper
Ovoza
(Rumors) was adjourned on December 14 until December 17 as experts, who had carried out linguistic examination of an article critical of a Tajik singer Raihona Rahimova, did not appear before the court. .
We will recall a court in Dushanbe’s Firdavsi district resumed the trial of the reporter yesterday. The trial that began on October 10 this year was suspended on October 17.
According to Inoyat Inoyatov, defense lawyer of the journalists, the hearing will resume on Monday when members of expert that carried out the linguistic examination of the article come to the hearing.
Inoyatov said that researchers at the Institute of [Tajik] Language and Literature of the Academy of Sciences – Sayfiddin Nazarzoda, Sayfiddin Mirzoyev and Ghiyosiddin Qodirov, had carried out the repeat linguistic examination. “On Monday, they will explain the results of the examination to the court and ruling on this case will be handed down at the court, most likely, the same day,” the lawyer said, reiterating that the repeat linguistic examination says that the article does not contain elements of insult. “Experts defined the article as art-journalistic genre with element of critic”.
In the meantime, claimant – Raihona Rahimova, told Asia-Plus that that the judge today suggested that the problem should be settled by negotiations. “I agreed but only in the event if the defendants apologize and admit that they were no right. Moreover, I do not demand that they should present apologies through media, because I do not want to humiliate them,” the singer said.
As it had been reported earlier, three female reporters for the tabloid newspaper
Ovoza
, Farangis Nabiyeva, Muhayo Nozimova, and Saida Qurbonova (editor of
Ovoza
), face charges of insult, libel and illegal collection and spread of information about private life.
Farangis Nabiyeva and Muhayo Nozimova coauthored the article critical of singer Raihona Rahimova titled “Raihona pi-pi-pi Afghoniston” (Ovoza, # 25, June 21, 2007).
Raihona lodged an application to the Dushanbe city prosecutor’s office o July 11, claiming the article by Muhayo Nozimova and Farangis Nabiyeva had allegedly defamed her. Following the application, the Dushanbe prosecutor’s office instituted criminal proceedings against them and the
Ovoza
editor Saida Qurbonova.
The journalists released an open letter to President Emomali Rahmon on August 20, asking to intercede on their behalf after the Dushanbe prosecutor’s office formally initiated criminal libel case against them for “insulting” a singer. They argued that their joint article critical of Raihona Rahimova published in
Ovoza
did not constitute grounds for instituting criminal proceedings. They defended the singer’s right to defend her honor, dignity, and business reputation, but said that the issue would be better settled by a civil court.
Media rights groups have also criticized Tajik prosecutors for opening criminal cases against the reporters. Media advocacy groups in Tajikistan and Russia called on Dushanbe to stop prosecuting journalists for their professional activity.
