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Media in Tajikistan Caused at Least 50,000 Dead, with Tions

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Media in Tajikistan Caused at Least 50,000 Dead, with Tions CONTENT 2 I. FOREWORD 3 II. HISTORY 3 War 4 Killing of journalists 5 Newspapers closed, media in exile 6 TV stations closed 7 III. LEGISLATION 7 General 8 Overview of the legal base 8 The Constitution 8 Law “On Press and Other Media” 9 Law “On Television and Radio” 10 Regulations on “Order of Licensing in Sphere of Television and Radio” 10 Criminal code (libel) 11 IV. SYSTEM / STRUCTURE OF MEDIA 11 General 11 Self-censored journalism 13 Lack of professionalism 13 Private radios: a new opening? 14 Media structure 14 Statistics 14 Electronic media 14 State Television 15 Private televisions 16 Financing of TV stations 16 Radio 17 Licensing 18 Press 18 State-owned press 18 Private media 19 Akbarali Sattorov’s press group 20 Sharif Hamdamov’s press group 20 Newspapers with political content 21 Economy of the newspapers 23 V. ACTIVITIES OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS FOREWORD 2 .................................................................................................................................................... I. FOREWORD The weakness of the media in the development of a reasonably plu- fact that the political leadership, Tajikistan is due to many different ralistic and free media system. But, which signed and committed itself to reasons, at the same time structural the absence of the functioning of the freedom of speech and freedom of and linked to the general political, judicial system makes it impossible the media, is the same leadership social and economic circumstances at present to have a basis to under- clearly accused to have been, just a in the country: consequences of the stand and, in the absence of juris- few years ago, directly involved in civil war, loss of competent journal- prudence, what, for example, does numerous murders of journalists. ists (killed or exiled), high costs of “libel” mean in Tajikistan today. The Time is therefore needed before any production (price of paper for news- same absence of clarity concerning significant change can take place in paper amounting sometimes to 30% the conditions to obtain a TV or ra- the Tajik media field. Beyond the le- of the expenses, usual high costs of dio license and the fear of editors to gal or technical changes that might TV production), self-censorship, contest any refusal in Court also be necessary to introduce into the pressure exerted on journalists and make it impossible to work out a media structure, the chances for fu- editors by politicians not used to rela- basis for a coherent policy between ture development for media and tively free press, ruined economy. state- and privately- owned elec- journalism will depend on the readi- The fact that there is presently no tronic media (with the hope to turn ness of the politicians, the media ac- daily newspaper in the country the former into a public service). tors, the representatives of various speaks for itself: for economic rea- Like the Constitution of the Republic public bodies, and of the Tajik soci- sons it is not likely that a daily could of Tajikistan and the democratic prin- ety to engage in a large debate on start up soon and become sustain- ciples contained therein, the laws on the role that the media should and able in the long run. The general bad the media in the country have no could play in present Tajikistan. situation of the media and journal- deep roots, neither among the ma- ism is at the same time appealling This report is the result of a month- jority of media actors and politicians, and perfectly understandable: no- long research in Tajikistan by two nor in the society. The state itself and one would probably consider that any media specialists André Loersch and its functioning are still marked by important institution in the country Mark Grigorian, in September 2000. their very origin: a product of the (the government, the state, the ju- The objective of the research was to cessation of hostilities, with a Peace dicial system, civil society) is func- provide an overview of the overall Agreement signed in 1997 largely tioning in a comprehensive way. media situation in the country, which based on Western inspired political could serve as a base for possible To function, the media requires rela- models, which cannot have been future activities of the Swiss Agency tive understanding and acceptance assimilated in such a short time by a of Development and Cooperation of its role. Despite their contradic- society which only left the Soviet SDC in media field in Tajikistan. tions and the need for a revision, the Union to enter into a brutal civil war existing Constitution of the Republic in 1992. The general weakness of the of Tajikistan, laws, and legal media Tajik media and the fear of the jour- regulations can provide a basis for nalists can only be reinforced by the HISTORY .................................................................................................................................................... 3 II. HISTORY The history of media and journalism ation in Tajikistan has been deeply ists (CPJ) attribute, without hesita- in the post-soviet Tajikistan (1991- affected by the long list of killings, tion an overwhelming responsibility 2000) is, on the one hand, marked tortures, arrests, exile, beatings, that to the current Tajik leadership for the by a short period of relative open- many journalists suffered from dur- terror exerted toward the journalists. ness that the media experienced at ing the eight years following that But, more than three years after the the time of the independence (Sep- short opening. The Tajik media now signing of a peace agreement be- tember 1991) until the beginning of seems still deeply conditioned by this tween the Tajik government and the the civil war (mid 1992). On the other recent past which left the journalists United Tajik Opposition (UTO) under hand, it is also characterised by a with a legacy of a fear that “they feel the auspices of the United Nations, longer period of terror for journal- in their bones”, as a Dushanbe-based no significant effort has yet been ists and editors. Not having been in- editor put it during an interview. made to officially establish the depth and systematically studied, the Some well-established international responsibilitiy for the murders of so first period is difficult to imagine con- organizations such as the New York- many journalists. sidering that the present media situ- based Committee to Protect Journal- War ....................................................................................................................................... It is a widely spread belief in space given to media issues during During the first round of talks held Tajikistan that the media played a the Inter-Tajik talks that the govern- in Moscow in April 1994, Oleg Panfilov crucial and negative role in the start- ment and UTO initiated in 1994 un- recalls that the “constructive activ- ing of the civil war which, in 6 years, der the auspices of the United Na- ity of the mass media in Tajikistan caused at least 50,000 dead, with tions. A book by the Tajik journalist and its limitation in accordance with some estimations going up to Oleg Panfilov, due to be published in the goal of supporting the process 150,000 victims. But, contrary to the Moscow and covering seven years of national reconciliation” was con- repression which affected the jour- (1992-1998) of events in the media sidered by the negotiators as a meas- nalists, this issue is unfortunately not field in Tajikistan, indicates that me- ure of trust in the process of political precisely documented. Nonetheless, dia was then in no way considered normalisation. the importance and the influence of as a public space for debate or in- During the second round of talks in the political leadership -both from the formation but as a dangerous Teheran in June 1994, the government and the opposition side- weapon, the use of which had to be opposition’s representatives failed in attributed to media is testified by the negotiated in parallel to cease-fires. HISTORY 4 .................................................................................................................................................... getting the government’s delegation well as demands for liberation of the the completion of the second stage to accept to include in the “text on journalists from the opposition’s side of the military protocol, contained in the agreement to a temporary cease- have also been regularly mentioned the General Agreement, under which fire a point on the re-start of activi- during the successive Inter-Tajik UTO fighters were to be integrated ties of the media forbidden by the talks, as well as the right of repre- into government forces”2 . It is with authorities”. Nonetheless, the final sentatives of both sides to have ac- this conceptual legacy, with the close document contains a mention of the cess to National Television. Last but link between the role of the media media, under the section dedicated not least, the lifting in August 1999 and that of political and armed forces to the “cessation of hostile activities” of the ban imposed on political par- during the conflict, that the Tajik so- aiming at the “cessation of using all ties and mass media, which had been ciety now faces the challenge to es- channels of information and mass imposed in December 1993, came as tablish a reasonably well-functioning media with the intention of under- part of the General Agreement media system in accordance with the mining the process of national rec- signed by UTO and
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