• KGS/USD = 0.01144 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00200 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09163 -0.11%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28571 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01144 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00200 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09163 -0.11%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28571 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01144 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00200 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09163 -0.11%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28571 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01144 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00200 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09163 -0.11%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28571 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01144 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00200 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09163 -0.11%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28571 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01144 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00200 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09163 -0.11%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28571 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01144 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00200 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09163 -0.11%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28571 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01144 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00200 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09163 -0.11%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28571 0%
18 February 2025

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 6

Japarov Backs Elon Musk’s Call to Shut Down Radio Liberty

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has expressed support for Elon Musk’s initiative to close U.S.-funded media outlets Voice of America and Radio Liberty. In an interview with the state news agency Kabar, Japarov suggested that Azattyk, the Kyrgyz branch of Radio Liberty, was no longer relevant in the digital age. “Twenty or thirty years ago, everyone waited for Azattyk, listened to it, believed it - because there was no internet or smartphones. Now, people do not need information from Azattyk. Everyone gets their news online. Besides, our people have learned to analyze information and not believe everything,” Japarov said. Azattyk’s Legal Battles in Kyrgyzstan Japarov accused Radio Liberty’s Kyrgyz service of frequently spreading unverified and harmful information. He noted that when state authorities took legal action, Azattyk journalists often removed the disputed material. In 2022, a Kyrgyz court suspended Azattyk’s license over its coverage of border clashes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. “If you sue them, they start shouting to the whole world: ‘Freedom of speech is dead in our country.’ Is this normal? Is spreading misleading information or manipulating the news freedom of speech? We should not confuse permissiveness with free speech or human rights. That’s why Trump and Musk’s decision should be supported,” Japarov said. At a national assembly in Bishkek last December, Japarov suggested that the U.S. State Department should provide funding directly to the Kyrgyz government, promising that Kyrgyzstan would then ensure democracy and human rights at the highest level. Political Analysts Weigh In Political analyst Bakyt Baketaev told The Times of Central Asia that while Radio Liberty – Azattyk is widely listened to in Kyrgyzstan, this does not necessarily mean broad public support for its narratives. “They mix solid journalism with unverified reports. They frequently take negative stories from the opposition - sometimes deliberately disrupting stability. Naturally, this affects the authorities’ perception of the outlet,” Baketaev said. He added that Azattyk’s closure would have a significant impact on pro-Western perspectives in Kyrgyzstan. “Modern geopolitics has shown that democracy, free speech, and human rights cannot be introduced overnight in other countries. Afghanistan is a clear example of this. Democratic values should be developed in coordination with the state,” Baketaev said. Despite the criticism, Baketaev acknowledged that Radio Liberty had successfully collaborated with the Kyrgyz government on ecology, public health, and women's rights issues.

CPJ Report Highlights Deteriorating Situation for Journalists in Tajikistan

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has released its 2024 annual report, identifying the countries with the highest number of journalists imprisoned in the previous year. According to the report, China (50 journalists), Israel (43), and Myanmar (35) topped the list. Globally, a total of 361 journalists were imprisoned in 2023 -- the second-highest figure since records began in 1992, surpassed only by 2022’s total of 370. The report also highlights Tajikistan’s worsening environment for press freedom, with specific mention of the country's persecution of journalists, including cases linked to ethnic discrimination. The CPJ report notes that two of the eight imprisoned journalists in Tajikistan belong to the Pamiri ethnic minority, a group historically subjected to systemic discrimination. These journalists hail from the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO), a region that has experienced significant unrest in recent years. Among them is Ulfatkhonim Mamadshoeva, a prominent journalist who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence. Authorities accused Mamadshoeva and her former husband, General Kholbash Kholbashov of the GKNB Border Troops, of orchestrating mass riots in GBAO in May 2022. These protests, which were met with a violent government crackdown, resulted in numerous deaths. Before her arrest, Mamadshoeva publicly denied any involvement in illegal activities. The CPJ’s findings reflect the broader challenges faced by journalists in Tajikistan, where independent reporting is increasingly equated with criminal activity. The CPJ report underscores the global misuse of vague anti-state laws to silence independent media. More than 60% of journalists imprisoned worldwide were charged under broadly defined laws, often targeting dissenting voices under accusations of terrorism, extremism, or other anti-state activities. Tajikistan is listed alongside countries like Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, and Turkey as frequent users of such repressive measures. “A significant proportion of these cases involve terrorism or 'extremism' charges, which are often very vaguely worded,” the report states, noting that such laws give governments broad discretion to suppress media freedoms. In Tajikistan, the eight journalists are currently serving prison sentences ranging from seven to 20 years. These long sentences illustrate the risks faced by media workers in a country where freedom of the press continues to erode. The CPJ report highlights a troubling global trend, with over 100 new journalists imprisoned in the past year. While the focus of the report is on numerical leaders like China, Israel, and Myanmar, countries like Tajikistan, where media suppression is equally severe but less publicized, remain of grave concern.

Russian Journalist Pivovarov Detained After Filming Cotton Fields in Karakalpakstan

Alexey Pivovarov, a Russian journalist and YouTuber, was detained in Nukus, the capital of the autonomous Uzbek republic of Karakalpakstan. He was questioned by authorities along with the photography team for his project, Redaktsiya (Editorial), and Feride Makhsetova, a journalist from the local news portal Hook. Their arrest was initially reported by Hook. The journalists were detained "for an interview", supposedly following a complaint by an unidentified citizen. Authorities confiscated the visual material collected by the team, who, according to Pivovarov on his Telegram channel, had been filming in one of the region's cotton fields. The Karakalpakstan branch of the Agency for Information and Mass Communications claimed that the detentions occurred because the journalists were not accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Later, Pivovarov, Makhsetova, and their team were released by the Nukus Department of Internal Affairs. They subsequently traveled to Tashkent without the materials they had filmed in Karakalpakstan. The Russian Embassy in Uzbekistan addressed the incident, stating that it had contacted Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and would provide support to the Russian citizens involved. In a message on his Telegram channel, Pivovarov described the officials in Nukus as “friendly and polite.”

Tajik Journalist Rukhshona Khakimova Faces Treason Charges Amid Controversy

Tajik authorities have charged journalist Rukhshona Khakimova, the niece of Shokirjon Khakimov, first deputy chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan, with high treason under Article 305 of the Criminal Code. The charges are part of a larger investigation into an alleged coup attempt, according to sources cited by Radio Ozodi. The case, initiated in July, took a significant turn on November 22 when the indictment against Rukhshona and Shokirjon Khakimov was formally presented in court. The trial, held behind closed doors, has limited access to details, leaving the public and media in the dark. The Allegations Sources suggest that Rukhshona Khakimova’s charges stem from her involvement in conducting a politically sensitive poll about China’s influence in Tajikistan. The survey reportedly included interviews with Saidjafar Usmonzoda, a political figure stripped of parliamentary immunity and later arrested, and her uncle, Shokirjon Khakimov, who is also implicated in the case. It remains unclear how this survey forms the basis of a high treason charge. The secrecy surrounding the trial further obscures the connection. Background on Khakimova Rukhshona Khakimova, 31, is a graduate of the National University of Tajikistan with a career that spans investigative journalism for prominent outlets, including Youth of Tajikistan and several international publications. She is also a mother of two young children, the youngest being just five months old. Due to her family situation, Khakimova is under house arrest. Both her domestic and foreign passports have been confiscated, restricting her movements. She and her lawyer have declined to comment on the case, adhering to its classified nature. A Broader Context The trial, which began on November 14, involves multiple defendants, including well-known politicians and public figures accused of conspiring against the government. Held in a detention facility in Dushanbe, the closed proceedings exclude the participation of family members and the press, fueling speculation and concern among observers. As the case unfolds, it raises critical questions about press freedom, political dissent, and judicial transparency in Tajikistan.

Mystery and Intrigue Behind the Death of Inessa Papernaya

Further details have come to light which shroud the death of Inessa Papernaya in yet more mystery. As reported by TCA yesterday, Papernaya and her companion were found dead in a Tashkent hotel on October 20, along with an Uzbek man in a neighboring room whom media sources initially referred to simply as U.Kh. It has since come to light that this person was Khushnud Udekov, a well-known 48-year-old businessman from the Khorezm region whose private gas company was liquidated. Initially, reports stated that Papernaya was a Russian journalist known for her work with lenta.ru and profile.ru. It was also reported that Papernaya was in Uzbekistan on vacation, and was staying at the Karaman Palace Hotel with her fiancé, Maxim Radchenko, whom she had traveled with in order to meet his relatives. However, Papernaya’s last post for either of these publications came in 2019, since when she had become an employee of the Russian mining company, Norilsk Nickel. According to accounts surrounding the death of Papernaya and Radchenko, hotel staff knocked on the door of their room after the couple, who were supposed to have returned to Moscow, stopped answering the phone. Receiving no response, staff entered the room, where they discovered the bodies of the pair in the bathroom. “When she didn’t answer her phone at 11 PM, I felt something was wrong,” Papernaya’s mother told the media. “I knew something had happened.” The body of Udekov was subsequently found in the room directly below, with some local publications speculating that the businessman may have been the target of a contract killing. Preliminary reports attributed the cause of the deaths to poisoning of “unknown origin,” with early suggestions being made that gas seeped into the room through the ventilation system after the hotel’s pool was cleaned on October 19-20, leading to the incident. The hotel where the incident occurred was also still under construction, and the first floor was stuffed with building materials and furniture. Following the gruesome discovery, authorities sealed off the Karaman Palace Hotel. The Prosecutor General’s Office of Uzbekistan launched an investigation under Article 186 of the Uzbek Criminal Code, which covers the provision of unsafe services, and a forensic examination was ordered to determine the precise causes of death. According to Hayat Shamsutdinov, the press secretary of Uzbekistan's Prosecutor General 's Office, the exact cause of death will be determined after a thorough examination, the results of which are expected in about a month. Forensic expert Alexey Reshetun, however, has stated that it is “extremely difficult to imagine that two adults would die in a single room as a result of gas entering through the ventilation.” Relatives of Radchenko, meanwhile, have disputed what they describe as several different versions of the deaths which have been put forward. Radchenko’s sister stated that the family were initially told “he had an epileptic seizure; she ran up to him, slipped, fell, hit her head and died. This is some kind of TV series: how do you fall? What...

Russian Journalist Inessa Papernaya Found Dead in Tashkent Hotel

Russian journalist Inessa Papernaya, known for her work with lenta.ru and profile.ru, was tragically found dead in a hotel in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on October 20. It has been reported that Papernaya was in Uzbekistan on vacation, and was staying at the Karaman Palace Hotel with a companion, Maxim Radchenko, with whom she was in a long-term relationship, and whom she had traveled with in order to meet his relatives. According to reports, hotel staff knocked on the door of her room that evening while delivering a package. After receiving no response, they entered the room and discovered the bodies of Papernaya and Radchenko. An Uzbek citizen was subsequently found dead in the bathroom of another room in the hotel. Preliminary reports attributed the cause of the deaths to poisoning of “unknown origin,” with early suggestions being propagated that gas seeped into the room through the ventilation system after the hotel’s pool was cleaned on October 19-20, leading to the tragic incident. Following the discovery, authorities sealed off the Karaman Palace Hotel. The General Prosecutor’s Office of Uzbekistan has launched an investigation under Article 186 of the Uzbek Criminal Code, which covers the provision of unsafe services, and a forensic examination has been ordered to determine the precise cause of death. Relatives of Radchenko have disputed what they have described as several different versions of the deaths which have been put forward. According to Radchenko's sister, the family were initially told that "he had an epileptic seizure; she ran up to him, slipped, fell, hit herself and died. This is some kind of TV series: how do you fall? What nonsense... Then there was a version about drugs, since their bodies were in the bathroom, that meant they were drug addicts." In a further twist challenging the official narrative regarding gas seepage related to the pool being cleaned, Radchenko's sister has categorically stated that "there is no pool there." Meanwhile, no websites advertising rooms at the Karaman Palace make any mention of a pool, with some stating outright that this facility is not available. Hayat Shamsutdinov, press secretary of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Uzbekistan, has confirmed that the bodies will be transported to Moscow for a joint cremation to be held on October 25.