From: Giorgi Kandelaki (GKandelaki@sorosny.org)
Date: Wed Jun 12 2002 - 14:00:56 EDT
Centre for Journalism in Extreme Situations
Weekly report
Issue no. 21, June 3 - 9, 2002
I. Conflicts with the Authorities or Political Organizations
Kyrgyzstan
Klara Talkeyeva, a Dzhalal-Abad journalist, had to resign from state-run regional
newspaper Akyikat because editor-in-chief Stambekov had told her that regional
bureaucrats take a dim view of her publishing articles in independent Fergana
newspaper.
The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry accused Res Publica newspaper of publishing unchecked
reports, in particular an interview with Bolot Shamshiyev, former consul general in
the United Arab Emirates, accusing consulate officials of having burglarized his
apartment.
Supporters of Azimbek Beknazarov, the parliament member whose arrest in March had
triggered protest in the south of the country, demanded that "information warfare
against the country's people end" and sharply criticized the performance of the
Kyrgyz State TV and Radio Corporation, the Dzhalal-Abad regional television and
state-run newspapers. Simultaneously, Res Publica newspaper published an open
letter signed by a group of TV journalists questioning the authority of the Public
Supervisory Council and calling for adoption of a TV and Radio Broadcasting Law.
The council, reporting to the Kyrgyz State TV and Radio Company, was set up by a
presidential decree on advice given by the state commission of inquiry into the
tragic events in the south of the country on March 17 and 18.
Naken Kasiyev, head of the Osh regional administration, demanded that regional
newspapers Ekho Osha, Osh Zhanyrygy and Ush Sadosi and the state-run TV and radio
company Osh-3000 give more coverage to the haymaking campaign now underway.
Tajikistan
The Communication Ministry's State Communication Inspection Office found that
Bashyr TV studio in Vose district had been operating a TV transmitter without
permission. The commission warned the studio and set a deadline before which the
studio should take proper steps if it does not want to have its license revoked.
The commission also found offenses in the operation of Simo-TV studio in Pedzhikent
district of Sogdi region. The studio has not paid the state for using its frequency
since 1999. Its telecasting had been banned but the studio is still on air. The
commission called for revoking the studio's license.
II. Judicial and Legal Persecution
Kyrgyzstan
The Suzak District Court of Dzhalal-Abad region found human rights activist,
journalist Ziyakhidin Mamazhanov guilty of hooliganism and ordered him to pay a
fine of an equivalent of $42. Mamazhanov does not doubt that the criminal case and
the sentence were engineered by the law enforcement agencies which he had
criticized.
Parliament passed an ordinance under which state-run media will provide full
coverage of nationally important events.
Dosumbai Duishenaliyev, chairman of Yntymak cooperative society in the village of
Ornok, Issyk-Kul region, filed a suit against Zaman-Kyrgyzstan newspaper that
published on June 16, 2000 an article by Interior Ministry press secretary Zhaldyz
Sakebayeva accusing the man of illegally selling the cooperative's assets.
III. Attack on Journalists and Threats
Azerbaijan
Opposition Yeni Misavat newspaper journalist Mubariz Jafarly fell victim of an
attack outside his house. One of the attackers said: "Ilkham Aliyev [the
president's son] is no child for you." Newspaper editor Rauf Arifoglu does not
believe that Ilkham Aliyev was indeed behind the attack, for hired hands would not
have disclosed the name of their customer. He believes that the attack is the work
of sympathizers with the Kurdish terrorist organization PKK.
Three police officers of Baku's Sabail district on June 6 entered the apartment
where Yeni Musavat's journalist Makhir Mamedov is residing and told him to leave it
because he is not registered there. If he does not, he will be evicted forcibly,
they said.
Kazakhstan
In Almaty, editor-in-chief of opposition paper SolDAT Yermurat Bali, a well-known
journalist and public figure, found on June 7 that the brake hose of his car was
cut. This had been done very neatly and so could not be a technical failure,
experts said.
Kyrgyzstan
Law enforcement agents detained, brought to the town police headquarters, put in
handcuffs and beat Radio Liberty correspondent Ryspai Abdraimov in Tash-Kumyr,
Jalal-Abad region, on June 8. He was not released until regional interior officials
arrived, Galina Vasiyanova, a human rights activist, said.
In the village of Kochkor, Naryn region, people "acting on behalf of the local
authorities," illegally entered the office of a human rights committee, broke
furniture and tore up and threw out back issues of Res Publica and Agym newspapers,
committee head Kachkyn Bulatov said.
VI. Restricting Access to Information
Azerbaijan
Telecasts of Russia's NTV channel was suspended in Azerbaijan on June 3 because,
Communication Minister Nadyr Akhmedov said, the channel owed his ministry $160,000.
NTV commercial service head Natalya Churkina said that NTV had signed no contract
with Azerbaijan, so she does not know what kind of debt is meant.
Tajikistan
In Sogdi region of Tajikistan the authorities banned the sale of the regional
administration's mouthpiece, Khudzhand magazine. Observers attribute the ban to an
article saying that local leaders love animals. Khudzhand city administration head
specializes in dog breeding and is believed to take offense.
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