Tajikistan: journalist was detained for taking a photo of Christmas tree

On December 12, correspondent of Asia-Plus, Muso Bobokhodzhiev, was stopped by police for photographing a Christmas tree near the theater. First, they demanded that the photo be deleted, and then one of them took the phone from him and tried to fine the journalist for a non-existent offense.

According to the Asia-Plus editorial board on its website, a young man came up to the journalist, who introduced himself as an employee of the city department of the State Committee for National Security. He warned that he can’t take pictures of people in military uniform and asked to remove some photos and released the journalist.

Then a policeman approached the journalist, showed his ID and introduced himself as a district officer’s assistant of Shokhmansur district of Dushanbe.

The policeman did not accept the information that the journalist was photographing the Christmas tree for the photographic line, and began to interrogate him. Arguments that the journalist photographed the Christmas tree on the instructions of the editorial office of Asia Plus had no effect on him, and the policeman continued to insist that he did not have the right to photograph.

“You seem to me a dubious person,” was his argument.

 According to him, “the distribution of photographs of police officers, who are in one place, is a humiliation of the country”.

“Whether you like it or not, we will fine you. Due to the fact that we understand each other, we will fine you for a small amount; neither you will lose time nor we. But, if you follow the principle, we will take you to the department, say that you look doubtful, detain you for 3 hours; they will interrogate you, take fingerprints, find out who your parents are. Until I want, no one will release you. If I brought you to the department, only I have the right to allow you to be released,” a police officer said.

Further, the policeman told the journalist of Asia Plus that he should pay a fine of $11 (110 somoni). To the question “On the basis of what can they fine me?”, the district officer’s assistant of Shokhmansur answered “I’ll write that you have smoked a cigarette…”.

The editorial office of Asia Plus notes that at the very beginning, as soon as their journalist was detained by the policeman, they contacted him by telephone and explained what exactly the journalist was doing near the opera house and that he had right to take photographs in public places and demanded him let go, but it didn’t help.

The journalist was released after calls to the police of the city of Dushanbe.