The New York-based press freedom NGO the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on the Tajik authorities to release journalist Ahmad Ibrohim. Ibrohim is the founder and editor-in-chief of Paiq, the only independent newspaper in Tajikistan’s Khatlon region.
According to Radio Ozodi sources, Ibrohim was detained on August 12. CPJ expressed concern that his arrest underscores the dangers journalists in Tajikistan face.
CPJ’s Program Coordinator for Europe and Central Asia, Gulnoza Said, said Tajik authorities should release Ibrohim and seven other journalists imprisoned for their professional activities, and ensure media freedom.
Officials have not yet provided information about Ibrohim’s detention, and his relatives refuse to comment. However, a source in the security services said that a criminal case had been opened against him under Article 320 of the Criminal Code (bribery), allegedly for attempting to bribe a government official to extend Paiq’s registration.
This is not the first instance of government pressure on Paiq. In 2014, the regional prosecutor’s office stopped the newspaper from operating, citing problems with renewing its registration. Despite this, Ahmad Ibrohim continued to work, remaining one of the few independent journalists in the region.
