The international human rights organization Reporters Without Borders called on the Tajik authorities to immediately release four independent journalists who “criticized the government” and are currently under arrest “on trumped-up charges of links to extremist organizations.”
The statement of this authoritative international organization, published on July 27, lists the cases of Daleri Imomali, Abdullo Gurbati, Zavkibek Saidamini and Abdusattor Pirmuhammadzoda, who were detained in June-July of this year on charges of committing various crimes, but then they were all charged with collaborating with organizations banned in the country.
“As a result of increased censorship and slander against the media, journalists face jail time,” said Jeanne Cavalier, director of Reporters Without Borders in Eastern Europe and Central Asia office. “The Tajik authorities should stop using false accusations to silence journalists who criticize the government and should release those who are detained.”
Reporters Without Borders notes that the strategy used by the authorities against detained journalists is often used by the Tajik authorities to silence journalists. “Journalists are initially arrested on relatively ‘minor’ charges, but before they can be released, they face much more serious charges,” the statement said.
The tightening of state repressions against independent journalism began in 2021, when official censorship was introduced on TV channels and radio stations, according to Reporters Without Borders.
“The authorities are trying to establish total control over public opinion in the country,” says Nuriddin Karshiboev, head of the National Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan. “But there are no guarantees that the authorities will benefit from this. These actions will cause a negative reaction from the international community and ultimately have a very bad effect on the image of Tajikistan.”
In the Press Freedom Index, compiled annually based on estimates of press freedom in about 180 countries, Tajikistan dropped to 152nd in 2022, from 123rd in that ranking in 2015.
