Censorship in Uzbekistan – a game by new rules
The initiative of administrative sanctions for obstructing the activities of journalists and bloggers was made by the Agency of Information and Mass Communications (AIMC) in a published draft law. The document was developed for a long time and now the media of Uzbekistan stiffen in waiting a catch. The experience of independent Uzbekistan shows that good is not expected from the good intentions of the authorities. There is still censorship and self-censorship, special agencies oversee the activities of the media. The Head of AIMC Komil Allamjonov in the interview himself acknowledged the recent liquidation of two online publications by the special services.
How will the initiative of the authorities change the media and the blogosphere? Does the entire legislative framework governing media and blogs not correspond to the current state policy? Will government agencies, under the mask of protecting freedom of speech, more sophisticatedly control the media and blogs? Experienced journalists from Uzbekistan expressed their opinion on this.
Lola Islamova, editor-in-chief of Anhor.uz, Deputy Director of the Center for the Development of Modern Journalism:
– It is extremely difficult to predict how this will affect the media in general, but bloggers will have responsibilities along with rights, otherwise the authorities would not raise this question. No matter how the Agency positions itself, it is still an authority regulating the media sphere. According to the law, media registration is still licensing rather than notifying, as recommended by International Human Rights Declarations. Although Allamjonov speaks of a facilitated procedure, it is still a license with the payment of a certain amount for the mass media registration. Whether bloggers will register and pay is a question. If the initiative passes, then bloggers will have an advantage in receiving responses from government agencies to requests during 5 days, other citizens have a response time of 15 days. Perhaps there will be a responsibility and bloggers will follow their texts. I think there will definitely be lawsuits, statements to law enforcement agencies. Now I am already observing one of such kind of conflicts.
Are bloggers needed? They are already part of civil society. I agree that they should pay taxes, if they earn on it, and they have to be responsible for their words and actions.
Current legislation is separate. In addition to several laws regulating the activities of the media, there are many by-laws, intra-departmental provisions, etc., which in many ways come into conflict with each other. Lawyer Ilkhom Khamidov and I took the initiative to develop one single generalized law. Now, we are waiting for a response from the Agency.
For media freedom, it does not need to be controlled. It will be sufficient that the Agency will monitor the implementation of the law “On the openness of the activities of public authorities and administration” in the field. According to their declarations and the creation of a special department under the Agency, they want to do just that.
Alexey Volosevich, editor of the independent online edition Asiaterra.info:
– It’s good that they strengthen administrative responsibility for interference in the activities of journalists. As for timely answers, this is an interesting wording, since the legislation sets too much time for an answer. That is, when the boss manages to answer, the journalist no longer needs information; it is out of date. Therefore, answers should be given within 2-3 days.
In addition, officials, as a rule, do not give false information, but intentionally give stupid and unintelligible answers, from which nothing can be understood. Severe punishment must be established for such things.
Well, the main question: Who is a journalist? According to our legislation, this is a person with an identity card. It is necessary to change the wording: this is a person who prepares articles and radio-video stories on political and socially important topics, calls himself/herself a journalist, and knows how to present the results of his/her labor (articles, videos, program records) if necessary. Only the availability of the identity card does not mean anything.
As for the bloggers, it’s hilarious. Some general civil rights are listed and it is explained that he/she, also “has the right to do so”. It is clear that the blogger has the right, but officials must be obligated to provide him/her with these rights. There is no mention of this in the draft law. So all this is nonsense, a rotten Mirziyoyev’s lies of the public and international organizations that are already glad to be deceived.
Nikita Makarenko, journalist of Gazeta.uz, author of the Telegram channel “Makarenko Effect”:
– Uzbek media and the blogosphere are developing. Now, it is a “golden period”. Therefore, it is difficult to say exactly what it affects. I really like the new article “On hampering the activities of a journalist”. There is a problem with the fact that in Uzbekistan it is difficult to ensure that the articles of the law really work. But at least, now we have a legal document.
I think that our legislative framework is not bad. You can add something to it and changes are being made. But the problem in Uzbekistan is not with the laws, but with their implementation.
Some comments are interesting under the Facebook post of the Deputy Head of the Agency Saida Mirziyoyeva, daughter of the President of Uzbekistan. She also told which “rules related to the additional support of the media and bloggers are being worked out”. The people thanked, asked to review electricity tariffs, complained about an unrighteous court, asked for help when entering universities, discussed the construction of a nuclear power plant.
On August 3, the well-known public activist in the country Farida Sharif summarized the opinions: “Please, do nothing! You still get some trash, like all that this government has been doing for the past two years. Follow existing current legislation and everything will be fine! Laws are good, implementation is bad.
First of all, Saida (the daughter of the President) must begin with herself. She wants to introduce responsibility for the fact that officials do not respond to requests from journalists and bloggers? Fine! Saida Mirziyoyeva, please, respond to the comments that are made on this page to you. Stop hiding behind Daddy’s back! His rating has already fallen very low. And then, you with the whole family spoil it”. At the time of writing, there is no answer under Farida’s comment.
There is another, but an anonymous journalist opinion from one significant online edition in Uzbekistan. He claims that a new system of control and management of the media community is being created, many editions and bloggers consciously go under “the umbrella of protection” of the same Agency.
There is a logic in this. If in Karimov’s time it was enough for any official to hem angrily at the journalist, and he instantly changed the emphasis in the texts. Now you can criticize officials and even the police. This is if you are in Tashkent. In the province, this is not so. In Khorezm region, Boltaboy Matkurbanov, a correspondent of the magazine “Mushtum”, was taken away his mobile phone and laptop for inspection without arraignment.
About this case in July, only one media reported. The rest of the media were silent, as they suspect their colleague of having links with the foreign opposition, and this is already a taboo for sympathy. In the media of Uzbekistan, they know the limits of journalistic (blogging) courage. While they intuitively in creativity determine the limits of what is permitted. It seems that these limits will appear soon.
The Head of the Information and Mass Communications Agency Komil Allamjonov in his interview emphasized “Much more needs to be done to make journalists feel free, even if they are now mistaken or misbehaving. Let them make mistakes, we will not pinch them, so as not to interfere with the progress of journalism. But after that, we will definitely establish the rules of the game…”
