In Uzbekistan, pressure on journalists intensifies

Journalist Mahmud Rajabov and his associates received prison sentences and fines. Meanwhile, in Tashkent, an official, who threatened reporters, bowed out.

Law enforcement authorities of Khorezm region could not peacefully suppress the action of journalist Mahmud Rajabov. In a recent publication, ACCA reported that relatives and friends of opposition journalist Mahmud Rajabov decided to walk with him to Tashkent in search of justice. A group of activists was detained by force and on the night from 23 to 24, and during 6 hours the court delivered verdicts. The court sentenced Mahmud Rajabov and Nafosat (Shabnam) Ollashukurova to 10 days of arrest. From the support group, three men will pay a fine of three minimum wages ($70), and seven women will be sentenced to a fine of one minimum wage ($23).

Meanwhile, on September 27, the deputy Head of Almazor district of Tashkent, Abdurasul Vahabov, wrote a letter of voluntarily resignation. According to the Uzbek media, this year he twice showed aggression against journalists. In mid-August, the official threatened reporters of the online edition kun.uz to incite the Prosecutor’s office and damaged the operator’s camera. The country’s Prosecutor General office even took control of the attack on journalists. But then the case was “hushed up” due to the lack of corpus delicti in the acts.

Uzbek media widely covered this incident, preventing the city authorities from stopping the problem. The result of the efforts was the forced departure of the official from his post. According to local experts, now he is likely to find a new job in structures affiliated with the business of the Head of Tashkent, Jahongir Artykhodjaev. The Head of the capital was so imbued with the fate of his unlucky subordinate that he urged his relatives to beware of “slanderous and negative comments on the Internet”.