DUSHANBE, February 4, 2011, Asia-Plus — Muhammadyusuf Ismoilov, a reporter for the Dushanbe-based independent weekly,
Nouri Zindagi
, in Sughd province, is till being held in pretrial detention facility # 2 in Khujand, the capital of Sughd province.
Nouriddin Qarshiboyev, head of the National Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan (Nansmit), told Asia-Plus that criminal proceedings had been instituted against Ismoilov under the provisions of four articles of Tajikistan’s Penal Code: Article 135 (2) – defamation; Article 136 (2) – insult; Article 189 (1) – incitement of national, racial, regional or religious enmity; and Article 250 (1) – extortion.
We will recall Muhammadyusuf Ismoilov was arrested on November 23, 2010.
“Ismoilov is still being held in pretrial detention facility in Khujand and lawyer is not allowed to meet with him,” said Qarshiboyev “Lawyer has not been informed of the process of investigation. In our opinion, procedural norms were violated during the investigation.”
Ismoilov was criminally charged with defamation and insult through the media (two separate counts). Authorities, however, have not named a plaintiff in the indictment.
Ismoilov was arrested in Sughd province on November 23, but the regional press first reported on the case on December 13.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on December 16, 2010 denounced the imprisonment of Muhammadyusuf Ismoilov.
CPJ called on Tajik authorities to drop politicized charges against Muhammadyusuf Ismoilov and release him at once. “Tajikistan must decriminalize its defamation and insult laws in order to bring itself in line with international norms for press freedom,” CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said.
