DUSHANBE, February 1, 2011, Asia-Plus — Tajik Journalists’ Union (TJU) and the National Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan (Nansmit) on January 31 released a joint statement over lawsuit filed by the chief of the Interior Ministry body empowered to combat organized crime against the
Asia-Plus
newspaper.
TJU and Nansmit express concern about persecution of journalists in the country “for use of the right to freedom of expression that contradicts norms of both national and international laws.”
We will recall that Anvar Taghoymurodov, the chief of the Interior Ministry Division for Combating Organized Crime (UBOP) last month filed the defamation lawsuit in a court in Dushanbe’s Firdavsi district against the Asia-Plus newspaper, asking for 1 million somoni (equivalent to nearly US$225,000) as compensation for moral damage caused by article published by the newspaper.
The Interior Ministry high-ranking official who filed the lawsuit as private citizen claims that the article entitled “Investigation or Inquisition?” authored by Ramziya Mirzobekova defames his honor and reputation.
The article published in the newspaper on December 21, 2010 is about use of torture by officers from the UBOP and its office in Sughd province during interrogations to extort confessions.
Taghoymurodov considers that “correspondent went to pieces and showed rashness regarding authoritative body – Interior Ministry and UBOP, relying on words from interested persons.” He even suggested that Ramziya Mirzobekova and other reporters that covered the suicide car bomb attack in Khujand (September 2010) “knew persons that committed that terrorist act, were aware of their sinister intentions, and probably had ties to them.”
The
Asia-Plus
editor Marat Mamadshoyev called Taghoymurodov’s allegations disgraceful and said, “It is not the first time our reporter Ramziya Mirzobekova is summoned to the Prosecutor-General’s Office for as they say making more precise facts stated in her articles, but actually, they want to know the sources of information.” “They cast suspicion on her of serious crimes but refuse use of lawyer’s services to her. Thereby, they ignore norms of law allowing not disclosing sources of information,” Mamadshoyev said.
“Increasing cases of persecution of journalists and methods of filing lawsuits against them show that the main goal of plaintiffs is not correction of errors and triumph of justice but to gag journalists,” said the statement, “Pressure on the print media in Tajikistan may lead to serious restriction of freedom of speech and increase in self-censorship among journalists that will negatively impact the country’s prestige on international arena.”
TJU and Nansmit call on the Prosecutor-General’s Office and other competent bodies to thoroughly investigate this case in order to prevent any attempts to violate constitutional rights of citizens to freedom of expression and their right of access to information.
