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Dushanbe Conference to Discuss New Mass Media Law

On May 14, Dushanbe will host a conference entitled "Favorable Media Environment - an Important Factor of Legal Education in Society." The meeting is being organized by the Tajik Parliament and the nonprofit organization, Homa, with the support of the European Union (EU). The purpose of the discussion is to review the draft law "On Mass Media" with participation from a wide range of representatives of government agencies, international, multilateral, nonprofit, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the media. According to representatives of civic organizations, the rapid development of technology and international norms oblige the government to adapt legislation to international standards and modern best practices. In March 2023, a working group was established to draft a law on the mass media. It included representatives of government agencies and civil society, who together studied the experience of various countries in the region and analyzed legislative acts regulating media activities. In Tajikistan, the activities of the media are regulated mainly by two laws: the law "On Periodical Press and Other Mass Media" and the law "On Television and Radio Broadcasting." Following crackdowns, only two significant independent media voices remain in Tajikistan; the privately owned Asia-Plus, and the U.S. Congress-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s local service, both of which have long been subjected to partial shutdowns.

Uzbek Businesswoman Diora Usmanova Recounts Own History of Marital Violence

Diora Usmanova, the owner of two restaurants and some clothing brands in Uzbekistan, has spoken on her Instagram page about the beatings she suffered from her first husband, Babur Usmanov, who was the nephew of the billionaire Alisher Usmanov. Usmanova herself is related to Ziroatkhon Mirziyoyeva, the wife of Uzbek president Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Usmanova wrote that the story could cause her harm, but that she believes the benefits will "outweigh the risks a hundredfold" and will "change perceptions or somehow affect women who endure domestic violence and abuse," Gazeta.uz reported. "We loved each other and fought very hard for our marriage. Subsequently, when he started to raise his hand against me and when these beatings went on, and the beatings continued for four years, there were concussions, and a lot of blood, and bruises, and [my] whole body in bruises, and a lot of broken furniture, doors, everything," she said. Domestic violence is not only the man's fault, but also the woman's, Usmanova said. "We don't value ourselves enough, we're not brave enough, we're not strong enough, we're afraid to give a backhand, we're afraid to tell our parents, we're afraid to go back to our parents, we're afraid to start everything again. For the fact that we hope that it will change, that it will [bear] some good fruits in the future, that it will survive -- this is all our problem," Usmanova said. In her opinion, women should terminate harmful relationships and find the strength to leave -- and most importantly, learn to respect themselves. "You have to leave such relationships. [That's] because of the fact that you forgive once, forgive the second time, and then it becomes a habit, a person realizes that it is forgiven, it can end very badly, [a] whole life just poisoned. I did not find the strength then, and now after 10 years, I look back and realize how many mistakes were made on my part and how much is my fault. Just like [it was] his," she stated. On May 8, 2013, Babur Usmanov was involved in a fatal car accident in Tashkent. In 2016, Usmanova married businessman Batyr Rakhimov.

Uzbekistan’s Supreme Court Vacates Convictions of 198 Victims of Stalinist Repressions

On May 6, the criminal trial panel of the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan considered 11 criminal cases involving 198 people who were unjustly punished by court verdicts over the period of 1930–1938, according to the press services of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Among those acquitted are high-ranking officials who held positions in the judicial system. Most of them were sentenced to death or long-term imprisonment with confiscation of property according to verdicts handed down by the Criminal Trial Committee of the Supreme Court of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on June 21, 1930. The vacating of those convictions was carried out according to a decree issued by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev dated October 8, 2020, titled “On further study of the legacy of repression victims and additional measures to perpetuate their memory." In order to ensure the implementation of the decree, a working group at the republican level was established to further study the legacy of repression victims, as well as organizing and coordinating the work of perpetuating their memory. After the approval of that “road map” for clearing the names of the victims of repression and perpetuating their memory, the scope of research on identifying victims was expanded, and officials were given the opportunity to use the departmental archives of ministries and agencies. Over the course of its efforts, the working group identified 1,031 people who were repressed during the Soviet-era, who subsequently had their convictions vacated.

Central Asian Entrepreneurs in Russia Shutting Down Hospitality Businesses Due to Xenophobia, Police Inspections

As previously reported by TCA, cafes and restaurants in Russia run by business owners from Central Asia have begun to close en masse. Following the terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall near Moscow on March 22, for which several Tajik nationals have been detained and charged as the perpetrators, preexisting anti-migrant sentiment in Russia has intensified. Since that time, 75% of cafes and restaurants run by Central Asian migrants in Moscow alone have shut, with their owners citing xenophobia and harassment by the police. According to the Current Time news portal, police have sharply stepped up checks on newcomers, mostly Central Asians, over the past month. Raids against migrants are going on all over the country. Many migrants have already left Russia because of this - or refused to visit public places, including cafes. Café and restaurant owners have therefore suffered losses, and many have been forced to cease operations altogether. Police inspections of cafes and restaurants frequented by migrants have also increased - which is also not good for business. Migrants from other countries who work in the hospitality industry in Russia have also stated that increased xenophobia and raids after the terrorist attack have hit the restaurant business particularly hard. Those pressures - coupled with painfully high Russian inflation for food, goods, labor, and more - have made operations in the hospitality sector unprofitable for many whose livelihoods depend on it.

Kazakh Embassy Counselor in UAE Recalled After Domestic Violence Allegations

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan has recalled an Embassy Counselor from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saken Mamash, after the publication of a video message by his wife, Karina Mamash, who alleged ongoing domestic violence, according to a report in Kursiv.kz. "We urgently recalled this employee to Kazakhstan. Further, his case will be dealt with by law enforcement agencies," said an official representative of the ministry. Karina Mamash's appeal was published on an Instagram page run the public foundation, "NeMolchi" (Don't Remain Silent"). In the video, Mamash accuses her husband of years of violence, and expresses fear for her own safety and the safety of their children. "My name is Karina Mamash Gosmanovna. My husband, counselor to the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the UAE, yesterday beat me and my sister, who came to visit me on the 3rd [of May]. I demand help from our state. I am tired of being silent. I am tired of tolerating. For ten years he has been raping me, beating me. I am in danger, and my children are in danger around him. I demand help from our state. Help me," she said, attaching photos of herself and her sister with bruises on their faces to the post. Karina Mamash also insisted that her husband be "stripped of his status as a diplomat and put in jail for all the abuse." Domestic violence has become a key topic of discussion in Kazakhstan amid the high-profile case of Kuandyk Bishimbayev for allegedly killing his common-law wife, Saltanat Nukenova. On April 15, President Tokayev signed into law amendments and additions passed by Kazakhstan’s parliament ensuring the rights of women and the safety of children. The initiative represents a first in the CIS in terms of how far it goes to provide protection for women and children in the country.

Bishimbayev Trial: Will the “Show” Shift Reality?

The trial of Kuandyk Bishimbayev, accused of murdering his common-law wife, Saltanat Nukenova, is coming to an end with the verdict now in the hands of the jury. The trial has resonated widely in Kazakhstani society, but according to Gulmira Ileuova, a sociologist and head of the public foundation, Strategy: Center for Social and Political Research, Kazakhstan still has a long way to go to successfully fight abusive relationships. Ileuva commented on the case in an interview with the Times of Central Asia. TCA: In Kazakhstan, Bishimbayev's trial has received a huge amount of attention, and Nukenova's death is being discussed at home and abroad, with rallies being held in her memory. Moreover, a law toughening penalties for domestic violence has recently been passed. Will that help to radically change the situation with violence to which thousands of Kazakhstani women are subjected every year? Ileuova: It seems to me that Bishimbayev's trial has influenced some categories of people - those who are ready to listen and draw conclusions. But society in a broader sense will not be overtly affected by this situation. Specialists are watching the trial, examining the behavior of lawyers, prosecutors, and other participants. Conclusions are also being drawn that the arguments used by the defense remain childish, infantile. Public opinion attributes to Bishimbayev's lawyers, let's say, the moral image of Bishimbayev himself. Psychologists will also draw conclusions: about problems with upbringing, family relations, etc. But in general, the feeling is that of a show having been created, captivating the audience, and making [the audience] terrified or delighted. Emotional swings are created, adrenaline is produced, and accordingly, people watch and get involved. But I doubt that there has been a profound shift in society against the backdrop of the trial. There needs to be a lot of additional activities, outreach, to tie the new law on domestic violence, in particular, to direct practice. Just the other day, the wife of a Kazakhstani diplomat appealed to the authorities for protection, saying that her husband had been torturing her for years and had beaten her again. This particular man did not draw any conclusions from Bishimbayev's story, including concerning his own actions. This official should have realized that the president was one of the most active initiators of the law on domestic violence. Of course, further public reaction will also be influenced by the expected decision of the court in the Bishimbayev case. If the principle of the inevitability of punishment and changes in the judicial system are demonstrated, there will be a certain shift. However, for now it is perceived mainly as a show. There is still an educational effect [only] in a small segment of society. TCA: Why doesn't society perceive such clear signals? Why isn't there a shift to zero tolerance for domestic violence? Ileuova: We want change too fast, which is hardly possible because the inertia within society is huge. If women are sold for kalym (bride price or dowry), then they are still...