DUSHANBE, June 11, 2014, Asia-Plus – The OSCE representative on freedom of the media has urged Tajik authorities to restore access to the video-sharing website YouTube.
In her statement, released on June 11, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Ms. Dunja Mijatovic, called on the Tajik authorities to ensure Tajik citizens’ unrestricted access to the Internet, following the blocking of access to YouTube by a majority of internet providers in the country.
“It is the government’s responsibility to ensure that all citizens in Tajikistan have unhindered access to information, offline and online. Any imposed restriction should be defined by law, be proportionate and based on a court decision,” Mijatovic said.
“There is an apparent and urgent need for more transparency regarding this matter as there is no official information available as to why YouTube has been blocked,” The OSCE representative on freedom of the media noted.
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments.
We will recall that access inside Tajikistan to the video-sharing website YouTube has been blocked since June 10.
“The blockage has stopped traffic to YouTube from several country’s Internet service providers (ISPs) and only users of Megafon and telecom Technology Internet ISPs have access to the website,” Asomuddin Atoyev, the chairman of Tajikistan”s Association of Internet Service Providers, told Asia-Plus in an interview on Tuesday.
He is, however, sure that Megafon and Telecom Technology will also bloc access to the video-sharing website. Atoyev further added that it could not be ruled out that access to YouTube had been blocked following a written or verbal instruction from the communications service agency.
“I suppose that access to YouTube was blocked after any “unfavorable” video had been posted on the website,” the head of the Tajik Internet Service Providers’ Association noted.
We will recall that access to the video-sharing website was blocked previously last November, on the eve of Tajikistan’s presidential election and access to YouTube remained restricted for several months.
According to some sources, the partial blockage of YouTube in November 2013 had been ordered by the Communications Service under the Government of Tajikistan.
