DUSHANBE, June 10, 2011, Asia-Plus — Heads and representatives of sixteen electronic and print media of Tajikistan, local and international media organizations held an action of solidarity in the northern city of Taboshar on June 8-9 to support their tried colleague Mahmadyusuf Ismoilov.
According to the National Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan (Nansmit), the Media Council head Zinatullo Ismoilov yesterday met with chairwoman of the Taboshar court Saodat Atoyeva, who presides over the trial of Ismoilov. “The Media Council head noted that media and human rights organizations intend to protect rights and interests of the defendant within the framework of law,” the Nansmit source said.
The Tajik media watchdog head Nouriddin Qarshiboyev noted that the action to support Mahmadyusuf Ismoilov had been held for the purpose of protecting the citizens’ constitutional right to freedom of expression and use of media as well as development of citizen journalism in the country.
We will recall that the trial of Mahmadyusuf Ismoilov began on May 31 and plaintiffs in the trial are twelve officials from the Asht local authorities.
Mahmadyusuf Ismoilov, a reporter with the Dushanbe-based independent weekly,
Nouri Zindagi
(Light of Life), is charged with defamation, insult, incitement of ethnic, racial, regional or religious enmity, and extortion.
The
Nouri Zindagi
editor-in-chief Juma Mirzo considers that Ismoilov was arrested for his professional activities. According to him, critical articles authored by Ismoilov that were published in
Nouri Zindagi
and
Istiqlol
(Independence) had a broad resonance. Ismoilov contributed to other newspapers as well.
Ismoilov was arrested in Sughd province on November 23, 2010 but the regional press first reported on the case on December 13, 2010.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on December 16 denounced the imprisonment Mahmadyusuf Ismoilov. CPJ reports that Nansmit said Ismoilov was criminally charged with defamation and insult through the media (two separate counts). If convicted, Ismoilov faces up to two and a half years in prison. The Nansmit head Nouriddin Qarshiboyev told CPJ he believes Ismoilov was arrested in retaliation for his reporting.
According to Qarshiboyev and local press reports, regional prosecutors asked Nouri Zindagi to provide them with all the articles Ismoilov had written for the weekly since he joined the newspaper in 2008.
“We call on Tajik authorities to drop all these politicized charges against Mahmadyusuf Ismoilov and release him at once,” CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said. “Tajikistan must decriminalize its defamation and insult laws in order to bring itself in line with international norms for press freedom.”
