DUSHANBE, February 8, 2010, Asia-Plus — A roundtable meeting, entitled “Legal Protection of Journalists in Tajikistan,” which took place in Dushanbe on February 5 resulted in adoption of recommendations that could promote further development of freedom of speech in Tajikistan.
Nouriddin Qarshiboyev, head of the National Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan (Nansmit) told Asia-Plus that the recommendations would be submitted to the government and the parliament within the next few days.
“The meeting participants, in particular, suggest that legislative mechanism of regulating conflicts in the sphere of media should be improved,” said Qarshiboyev, “We also propose to amend laws setting damages awards taking into account experience of other countries and ensure strict observance of national legislation and international norms of transparency and accountability of legislative, executive and judicial branches of power regarding the right of access to public information and freedom of speech.”
According to him, media and journalists are recommended to strictly observe legal and ethical norms of journalistic activity and develop the single strategy of protection of rights and interests of journalists and media based on the national legislation, international law and ethical norms of journalistic activities in Tajikistan.
“We also offered media and human rights organizations to improve interaction and consolidate efforts on coverage of human rights problems in media, monitor execution of laws on media, elicit contradictions between legislative and subordinate regulatory acts for the purpose of removing them, as well as improve ways and methods of providing legal support to media and journalists in their activities,” said the Nansmit head, “International and donor organizations, diplomatic missions of foreign countries are recommended to provide assistance to local organizations and media with developing the strategy of protection of their rights, trace the media freedom situation and inform regional and international organizations to ensure that specific steps will be taken to protect freedom of speech and media in Tajikistan.”
Qarshiboyev stressed that the meeting participants had expressed readiness to cooperate with all state institutions, non-governmental human rights organizations as well as journalistic community to ensure correct understanding of the right of access to information and freedom of speech by all sections of society.
