The Asia-Plus news agency afternoon evening received verbal explanation why the authorities issues the order to block access to its website www.news.tj (www.asiapus.tj).
The Communications Service head Beg Zuhurov told Asia-Plus Tuesday afternoon that access to the Asia-Plus website was blocked after it published some readers’ comments. According to him, the comments contained libel and insult against the country’s high-ranking state officials.
The Asia-Plus has decided to remove one of the comments, which according to Beg Zuhurov was in contrary to the country’s legislation. Beg Zuhurov, for his part, promised to lift the order blocking access to the Asia-Plus in the near future.
We will recall that on Tuesday, the Tajik state communications agency ordered local Internet providers to block access to Asia-Plus website. The Asia-Plus has obtained a copy of an official letter addressed to fourteen domestic Internet providers. The Communications Service orders them to block the website “because of a technical problem.” We cannot publish this letter because it is classified as “confidential.”
Yesterday evening the website could be accessed by using proxy servers.
We will recall that Tajik Internet providers have blocked Tajikistan’s most popular news website www.news.tj, which belongs to the Asia-Plus Media Group. Access to the site has been cut off since June 12 in response to an order from the state communications agency.
According to information received, local Internet providers received an official letter from the Communications Service under the Government of Tajikistan to restrict access to the www.news.tj website “because of a technical problem.”
The website hosting is located outside Tajikistan and the website remains available to users from other countries.
For users in Tajikistan, our news will also be posted on our page in Facebook https://www.facebook.com/newstj.
