Freedom of Speech - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kyrgyzstan’s Culture Ministry Wants to Fine People for Spreading “Disinformation” Online

Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports, and Youth Policy has proposed issuing fines to people who promote 'disinformation' online. According to the proposed amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses, citizens who are found to have spread false information through media, websites, or social networks could be fined up to 100,000 KGS (about $1,200). For legal entities, the amount will be 200,000 KGS (about $2,400). The ministry emphasized that in recent years there has been an increase in cases where false information on the internet has led to conflicts and a deterioration in public sentiment. However, this has sparked debate in society and among human rights activists, who fear that such measures could limit freedom of expression and lead to the control of journalists and internet users. The ministry had previously proposed other amendments, which would allow fines to be imposed for libel and slander in the media and online.

Pavel Durov Media Freedom Justice Freedom of Speech Durov Telegram

How Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan Have Reacted to Pavel Durov’s Arrest

Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, was arrested on August 24 at Le Bourget airport in Paris. He is suspected of illegal activities including enabling drug trafficking, crimes against minors, and fraud. His arrest has been met with shock around the world, especially in countries where censorship and internet control remain pressing. According to various sources, the French authorities suspect Durov of being involved in activities related to the distribution of illegal content through the Telegram messenger. The investigation concerns materials related to extremism, copyright infringement, and alleged assistance to criminal groups. The investigation lasted several months. In response, Telegram said that it has always strictly complied with the law, and is ready to cooperate with French authorities to clarify the situation, expressing hope for a fair investigation and Durov's speedy release. In Kazakhstan, where Durov has long been known for his stance against censorship, his arrest has not gone unnoticed. The Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry, Zhaslan Madiev, made a statement that said: “We had a positive experience interacting with the Telegram team. We have often successfully and promptly resolved issues related to the leakage of personal data, the fight against drug trafficking, and the suppression of other illegal activities in the messenger. The Telegram team has always demonstrated a willingness to cooperate to ensure the safety of citizens while remaining true to its principles of protecting privacy and freedom of speech.” He also noted that on his last visit to Kazakhstan, Pavel Durov became one of the trustees of the IQanat project, which aims to support rural children in Kazakhstan. The project has awarded 12 grants worth $365,000. Madiev continued: “He did not just allocate money but personally participated in studying the educational process, selecting children, familiarizing himself with their lives. I am grateful to Pavel's team for caring, and his sincere interest in the development of the children. We hope for a speedy resolution of this situation.” The Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan also expressed support for Durov, calling on the French authorities to ensure respect for his fundamental rights and freedoms, and to conduct an objective investigation into the case. “The detention of Telegram founder Pavel Durov has caused concern among all those who fight for freedom, democracy, and the principles of free speech. It is important to take into account that in several countries where officially registered independent democratic media regularly face persecution or cease to exist at all, where blocking of websites is regularly practiced, Telegram, created by Pavel Durov, is currently almost the only source of bringing to the public objective and reliable information free from censorship,” the statement said. The Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan recalled that in 2018, Pavel Durov received an award from the Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan, precisely for his principled position against censorship. His arrest could negatively affect freedom of speech and human rights in developing countries with fragile democracies. The response in Kyrgyzstan was more restrained than that of the Kazakhstani authorities. None...

Media Freedom Social Justice Arrest Freedom of Speech

New York NGO Calls on Tajik Authorities to Release Journalist Ahmad Ibrohim

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.

Freedom of Speech Social Media Media Freedom Government Legislation

Kyrgyzstan Establishes Center for “Information Security”

Kyrgyzstan has created the Information Environment Research Center (IERC), which will be part of the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports, and Youth Policy; its main task is to monitor and analyze the country's information space in order to protect citizens' rights and freedoms and prevent the spread of misinformation and inaccurate information. The Center will identify and block illegal content on the internet and in the media and cooperate with the administrations of major social networks such as Facebook, Google, and TikTok. It will monitor compliance with legislation in the information sphere and provide recommendations on improving the information environment in Kyrgyzstan. The establishment of the Center is part of the state strategy to strengthen information security and control the observance of citizens' rights in the media space. Earlier, we reported that a unified TV channel and a regional media platform could appear in Central Asia, which would become important elements in strengthening information security and cultural exchange in the region. This year, Central Asia, and Kazakhstan in particular, has been the subject of swathes on disinformation on the internet. However, independent media in Kyrgyzstan has been the target of repression by the authorities, which UN Special Rapporteurs have denounced.

Freedom of Speech Human rights Judiciary Security

Residents of Turkmenistan Urged Not to Disseminate What’s Happening in the Country

In the city of Turkmenbashi, local authorities, including the khakimlik (mayor's office), the National Security Ministry (NSM), the court, the police, and elders, are holding meetings with youth and cultural workers. At these meetings, they are warned not to disseminate information about events in the country, such as natural disasters and traffic accidents, on the internet or to journalists. The meetings are hosted mainly by elders who reprimand the youth. “They demanded not to share pictures and videos of someone asking for money for a sick child and not to write comments under posts about problems,” a cultural worker said during an anonymous conversation. Meeting participants claim that the elders said, “There are no countries without faults, and faults need to be hidden.” They also emphasized that freedom on the internet should not lead to the spread of negative information. Authorities stated that citizens who distributed videos about the Ashgabat floods have already been identified, and most were cultural workers. "Cultural workers are lighthearted, and all the videos and information leaking online are mostly what you're doing. All problems come either from singers or actors, and the people following them,” a cultural worker was quoted as saying by an NSM official. The elders and representatives of the khakimlik also urged parents to monitor how their children use the internet and what sites they visit and read. Participants in the meeting were required to use VPN programs approved by the authorities and only share positive photos, videos, and messages about the country online.

Society Freedom of Speech

Another Uzbek Citizen Convicted of Insulting Mirziyoyev

A court in Uzbekistan has sentenced a 28-year-old Almalyk resident to correctional labor for insulting the country's president Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The man said he wrote insulting comments on the internet during a fit of anger because he had received several fines from the tax office. According to the case, the married father of two, an owner of a pharmacy, left insulting comments under four videos and photographs of Mirziyoyev between May 2 and August 31 last year, The defendant pleaded guilty and expressed regret for his actions. He said that while running his pharmacy, in the Tashkent region, tax inspection officers had fined him several times, and when he saw the photos and videos on Instagram he left derogatory comments in a fit of anger. Local media has reported that "The court took into account the man's admission of guilt and sentenced him to correctional work for two years and six months with the recovery of 20% of his salary to be given to the state. Also, the court imposed on the Ministry of Digital Technologies to restrict access to the account of the man on Instagram, and also decided to recover the phone Samsung Galaxy A53 in favor of the state". In March 2021 an article was added to Uzbekistan's Criminal Code establishing liability for public insult or slander against Mirziyoyev using telecommunications networks or the internet. This crime is punishable by corrective labor of up to three years, restriction of freedom from two to five years, or imprisonment of up to five years. In October 2023 a court sentenced a 19-year-old resident of Kattakurgan district (Samarkand region) to two years and six months in prison for insulting comments about Mirziyoyev on Instagram. In March this year a court sentenced a 27-year-old resident of Namangan, who had recently returned from Iran, to five years in prison for insulting and defamatory comments about Mirziyoyev on Facebook.