Press Freedom in Central Asia and the Caucasus
Welcome to another roundup on regional freedom of the press.
The major news on media freedom from the Central Asian region in the past month is the death in Turkmen custody of the RFE correspondent Ogulsapar Muradova, who was sentenced to six years in prison in August. Although Turkmen authorities claimed the reporter died of natural causes, it seems more likely that she died under torture.
Her death has been condemned by the UN, the UNHCR, and Human Rights Watch, as well as many other international organisations. There are now fears for her family, who are now being held inncomunicado. Reportwers without Borders is gathering signatures for a petition calling for an investigation, as well as the release of the two other activists jailed at the same trial.
In Kazakhstan, two suspects have been arrested over the recent murder of a French journalist in Alamty. The Kazakh authorities maintain his death was unrelated to his work.
On the Kazakhstan country weblog, Leila looks how blogging is taking off there, and how it could be affected by media laws.
Across the border in Kyrgyzstan, the opposition have charged that state television has presented a biased view of the recent drug planting scandal in which President Bakiev’s brother allegedly attempted to frame oppostiion leader Omurbek Tekebaev.
Also in Bishkek, Pyramid TV, Kyrgyzstan’s oldest independent station, was temporarily put off air by an arson attack in which two technicians were also beaten up. The station is reguarly critical of Bakiev’s administration and this is not the first time it has been attacked.
RFE has a useful primer on Uzbek pro- and anti-government websites, and reports that “Uzbekistan’s security services are actively blocking websites they dislike, a category that includes virtually all of the above-listed sites that publish anything critical of the government.”
However, the Uzbek authorities are also capable of more traditional methods of censorship. One of the few remaining independent journalists in Uzbekistan, Jamshid Karimov, who also happens to be President Karimov’s nephew, was apparently framed on bribery charges and has since been committed to a Samarkand psychiatric hospital. The Uzbek authorities have used the same technique to deal with human rights activists, and the sending of dissidents to psychiatric hospitals was pioneered during Soviet times.
Our final piece of news from Uzbekistan is that the newspaper ‘Tasvir+TV’ is being investigated for publishing articles which offend ‘the Uzbek people’s mentality’. The articles in question look at the sexuality of Tchaikovsky and sexual relations through history. There’s also a great piece of doublethink in the article from an Uzbek official - any sanctions taken against the paper ’should not be regarded as restrictions on media freedom’.
EurasiaNet reports that the Tajik authorities are clamping down on independent media in the run-up to the Presidential election - even as President Rahmonov’s speeches get star billing. The OSCE has launched a web portal on the Asia Plus site in order to give all candidates balanced coverage.
The OSCE has also been busy in the Caucasus. Both the Yerevan and Baku offices of the organisation have issued press releases expressing concern following recent attacks and lawsuits against journalists.
One of the lawsuits in question is that against Azeri newspaper editor Eynulla Fatullayev, who was sued for libel by former interior minister Ramil Usubov. Another Azeri journalist, Sakid Zahidov, has just been sentenced to three years in jail on dubious drug charges.
Finally, here’s a look at the role of television in Georgia’s municipal elections, being held tomorrow. The recent Russian spy scandal has been heavily covered in Georgian media, and some believe the coverage will work in the Government’s favour.
on October 10th, 2006 at 6:39 am
Before the elections Rahmonov is getting rid of free Mass Media. On Saturday the biggest Internet providers in Tajikistan Telecom Technology and Eastera blocked the websites critical of the government after recieving a letter from the government with a request to block “harmful” websites. Read more here: http://tajikistan.neweurasia.net/?p=116 (English), http://ru.tajikistan.neweurasia.net/?p=55 (Russian).
on November 25th, 2006 at 12:57 am
I only remember Alma Ata, as it was when I visited. The place was beautiful including I believe Kazakh Aul (A lake). I remember people were slightly suspicious of Westerners but soon became very friendly when approached.