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Hot News 2005 August 29
STATEMENT of the National
Association of Independent Mass Media of Tajikistan The National Association of Independent Mass Media expressed concerns over an increasing number of legal actions against media outlets and journalists in the country, and verdicts that conflict with freedom-of-expression principles 29August 2005. On 25 August the Firdavsi District Court in Dushanbe sentenced Mukhtor Bokizoda, chairman of the Foundation for the Memory and Protection of Journalists, who also edited “Nerui Sukhan” newspaper to two years of corrective labor. The court also ordered the journalist to forfeit 20% of his salary to the state budget.
The NANSMIT, that observed court
proceedings against Bokizoda, along with some other observers and
journalists, called them politically motivated. Bokizoda faced criminal
charges after the State Revenues Ministry’s Tax Police Department filed
a lawsuit against the journalist, accusing him of stealing electricity
from the street lightening system (article 253, part 2, item b of the
Criminal Code of the RT “inflicting damages on property by breaking
trust and fraud”). The estimated damage was 1678 somoni 98 diram (over
$500). He had already paid 300 somoni ($100) and planned to pay the rest
of the amount soon. Journalistic community was hoping the court would
end the proceedings by delivering an unbiased and objective verdict. The
fact that the journalist was ready to pay “the inflicted damages” gave
reasons to believe that the court punishment would be limited to
administrative. Instead of the hopes though, their worst fears have come
true, that were caused by the authorities’ two-year campaign, aimed at
persecuting The court sentenced Bokizoda on theft charges (article 244, part 1, of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Tajikistan), which were different from those initially filed by the preliminary investigation bodies (article 253 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Tajikistan- “damaging property of another, by breaking trust and fraud”).
The Committee to Protect
Journalists (USA), Foundation for Protection of Openness (Russia) and
other internationally respected organizations made statements in support
of the journalist. The NANSMIT, that supports the practice of settling
all media conflicts in accordance with the law, stated that processes,
including “Bokizoda’s case”, did much harm to Tajikistan international
reputation, because the verdict did not correspond to what the
journalist had done. The judges should administer justice. |
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