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public
service broadcasting in central asia
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Tajikstan |
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Overview
Of Public service Broadcasting in Tajikstan Media in Tajikistan Journalists working in Tajikistan, one of five Central Asian republics that gained independence when the Soviet Union collapsed, enjoy a very limited version of press freedom. Certain topics are taboo, particularly criticism of President Imomali Rakhmonov and the ruling party. As a result, journalists censor themselves to avoid confrontations with authorities. Indeed, many restrictive measures remain in place since the 1998 decision by the government to extend its power over the media by amending the media law. The amendments gave the official broadcasting committee the right to control the content of any program or material either before or after its production. (1) The government severely restricts freedom of expression. The sole publishing house for publishing newspapers is owned by the state and denies access to government critics. The government monitors and "counsels" all news media, enforces pre-publication censorship, and imposes burdensome licensing procedures. Electronic media is either state-owned or is dominated by the state. (2) Direct censorship, such as the systematic vetting by a censorship office of all articles prior to publication, is not standard practice in Tajikistan. Nonetheless, authorities do on occasion prevent certain material or publications from being printed. More often than not, journalists receive a warning in the form of a telephone call from a governmental ministry, offering "guidance"; or printers receive instructions from authorities not to print the publication or article in question. In addition, journalists exercise significant self-censorship, a skill they honed in the Soviet era, because they are acutely aware that criticizing or publishing sensitive information on government figures or policy, controversial political players, or powerful war lords or drug bosses could result in reprisals. This in itself is so effective that information on these subjects rarely reaches the Tajik media. (3) The information vacuum in the country can bring about the most undesirable consequences, exerting negative influence on further social and political developments in the region. Ten years after a strong Soviet ideology dissolved, other forces are snatching all opportunities to define a new ideology at a crossroad of the European and Asian civilizations. In areas in which the free media cannot operate, and where there is a lack of education, that ideology can grow from fear and violence. (4) The absence of analytical journalism accounts for the fact that motives for frequent reshuffles in power structures, and changes in home and foreign political priorities proclaimed by the country’s leadership, remain unclear to the broad range of readers, viewers and listeners. (5) The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) sent a letter on May 14, 2002 to the Tajikistan government outlining its concerns about the lack of press freedom in the country. The press watchdog said that government harassment, intimidation, and censorship regularly stifle press freedoms in Tajikistan. CPJ's program coordinator for Europe and Central Asia, Alex Lupis, said that one of the most important points CPJ wants the Tajik authorities to address is the ongoing intimidation and attack of journalists by government officials. The CPJ ha documented eight such cases since 1992. (6) The authorities threaten or harass journalists and editors who publish views directly critical of President Rakhmonov or of certain government policies. A dramatic example was the July 2001 arrest in Moscow of Dodojon Atovullo, exiled editor-in-chief of the independent opposition newspaper, Charogi Ruz (Light of Day). Atovullo has in recent years published articles accusing Tajik authorities of corruption and involvement in narcotics trafficking activities. Threatened with extradition to Tajikistan to face charges of sedition and publicly slandering the president, he was released in six days after pressure from other governments and international organizations. (7) CPJ also cited the case of reporter Khrushed Atovulloev, from the newspaper "Dzhavononi Tojikiston," who was questioned and threatened in June 2001 by officials from the State Security Ministry. CPJ said the heavy-handed treatment was in retaliation for an article describing abysmal living conditions endured by university students and bribe-taking by teaching staff. CPJ said these incidents are all in violation of Article 162 of the Tajikistan Penal Code, which makes it illegal to obstruct a journalist's professional activities. (8) Media Laws Tajikistan ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1998. Article 19 of the Covenant states: “Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference; Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice. The Constitution of Tajikistan upholds freedom of expression and bans censorship: “Every person is guaranteed freedom of speech, publishing, and the right to use means of mass information. State censorship and prosecution for criticism is prohibited. The list of information constituting a state secret is specified by law.” (9) State censorship is forbidden by Tajikistan's obligations under international and domestic law, covenants it has ratified and the nation’s Constitution. Although censorship is not a systematic practice, in reality pre-publication censorship occurs. Generally, journalists choose not to use the courts to defend themselves and stay away from issues sensitive to the authorities. Self-censorship prevents large-scale pre-publication censorship from occurring, while those incidents that do occur most often go unreported. (10) Other laws governing the media in Tajikistan protect media freedoms. These include the Law on the Press and Other Mass Media, adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic on December 14, 1990, and the Law on Television and Radio Broadcasting, adopted on December 14, 1996. Under the terms of the 1997 General Agreement, amendments are to be made to current media legislation to bring it into greater conformity with international protections, although after five years there were no signs that such steps had been initiated. The government of Tajikistan maintains that certain restrictions on freedom of expression are necessary to protect development, security, and other interests. Many state officials, and even Tajik journalists, hold the view that unrestricted freedom of expression in part spurred the civil war in 1992. They agree that coverage of sensitive topics, such as the negative consequences of the war, must necessarily be limited to preserve national security interests and stability. Although this view is not strictly state policy, little serious discussion of the negative impacts of the civil war appears in the press, because of curbs on the media, censorship and an uncontrolled culture of violence and impunity (11) The CPJ also raised concerns about the Tajikistan Penal Code, which makes it a crime to publicly defame or insult a person's honor or reputation. In addition, Article 137 stipulates that publicly insulting Tajik President Rakhmonov is punishable by up to five years in jail. (12) Print Media With the economy in ruins and much of the population living in poverty, Tajikistan still does not have a viable daily press. The authorities control the presses and publishing, and obtaining a license can take several years. Today, the country relies on small-volume weekly papers; most of them filling news holes with horoscopes and anecdotes from the Russian yellow press. (13) The government exerts pressure on newspapers critical of its actions. Najot, the official newspaper of the Islamic Renaissance Party, continued to publish during the year, although it experienced indirect government censorship in 2000, apparently in retaliation for publishing a serialized translation of a foreign human rights report critical of the government. During 2000, the newspaper lost its access to state-run printing presses and was forced to rely on a small, privately owned printing press to publish its editions. (14) In
February 2001, the newspaper, Vetcherny Dushanbe, was subjected to pressure
after publishing an article that criticized the government of Turkmenistan,
arousing the anger of the Tajik Minister of Foreign Affairs. The newspaper
was accused of wanting to hinder Tajikistan's diplomatic relations with
Turkmenistan. On July 5, 2001, Dodojon Atovulloyev, editor-in-chief of the newspaper, Charogy Ruz, published in Moscow, was arrested at Sheremetiyevo 2 airport near Moscow. A request for extradition had been made in April to the Russian government by the Tajik authorities, accusing the journalist of "libel against the President of the Republic" and "incitement to national, racial and religious hatred". Thanks to the intervention on his behalf by several governments and human rights organizations to the Russian authorities, the journalist was not extradited and was freed a few days later. (15) Many
observers point to the lack of analytical skills of the overwhelming
majority of Tajik reporters as the reason why there is no in-depth material
focusing on the reconstruction of post-Taliban Afghanistan and why there
is no analysis of the potential impact the developments in the neighboring
country have on Tajikistan. (16) Broadcast Media State TV and radio are financed from the national budget; revenues from advertising do not allow for financial independence. Politically, the government channels are biased and scrutiny of the authorities is non-existent. Several independent television stations operate in the country, but critical or controversial content carries the risk of arbitrary closure. Dushanbe, the capital city, remains without independent radio or television stations, as authorities there have denied them operating licenses for the past three years. (18) Independent stations continued to experience administrative and legal harassment. To obtain licenses, independent television stations must work through two government agencies, the Ministry of Communications, and the State Committee on Radio and Television. At every stage of the bureaucratic process, there are high official and unofficial fees. The process of obtaining licenses can take anywhere from months to years. Those who are denied licenses are allowed to reapply; however, there is no formal appeals process. The government continued to prevent independent radio stations from operating by interminably delaying applications for broadcasting licenses. At least two independent radio stations in Dushanbe have had their license applications pending without explanation since 1998. (19) In November 2001, the Tajik Ministry of Communication ceased re-broadcasting of the Russian Public Television ORT, the country’s major source of news, analysis and cultural programming. Since only foreign visitors, international aid workers and a small stratum of newly wealthy (the "new Tajiks") can afford satellite dishes, balanced news is nearly absent from much of the country. The State Committee on Television and Radio, which controls all media, has tightened its grip on public discourse. International human rights organizations report that Tajik journalists have fallen into tough self-censorship, checking and re-checking information and avoiding topical issues in order to avoid facing censorship. (20) One TV channel, Timur Malik, operates in the region of Leninabad. Prior to 1992, cable TV stations existed, yet they were banned. The official explanation concerned alleged "pornographic movies and other inadmissible programs". It is, however, generally accepted that the political advertising carried by the cable TV station prior to the elections caused their prohibition. (21) Foreign radio stations, broadcasting in Russian and Tajik, are the BBC, Voice of America, Radio Liberty and Voice of Free Tajikistan. The latter is in fact the United Tajik Opposition radio station, funded by Iran, and broadcasting from Kunduz Province in northern Afghanistan. Combined with the opposition papers smuggled into the republic, such as Charoghi Rooz (Moscow) and Paiki Piruzi (Iran), they provide information to a small sector of the information-hungry population. (22) Internet The Global Internet Policy Initiative (GIPI) and the local Internet service providers association have won a battle to keep the Internet affordable in Tajikistan. Advocacy by the two groups has convinced the Ministry of Communication to stop an order that would have charged commercial providers for every incoming call. The majority of Internet users in Tajikistan, most from the academic and NGO communities, use a dial-up connection to the Internet. Charging for incoming calls would force providers to pass on the extra costs to their clients and would likely cause a decrease in the number of Internet users. The current number of Internet users in Tajikistan is already low, approximately three percent of the nation’s 6.2 million citizens. (24) Bibliography (1)
2001 World Press Freedom Preview. www.freemedia.at/wpfr/tajikist.htm
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