TAJIKISTAN MIN OF SECURITY CLOSELY WATCHES INDEPENDENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 002083

SIPDIS


STATE FOR EUR/CACEN, SA
NSC FOR MERKEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2015
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN MIN OF SECURITY CLOSELY WATCHES INDEPENDENT
MEDIA

REF: DUSHANBE 1732

CLASSIFIED BY: Thomas Armbruster, Charge d' Affaires, Dushanbe,
Tajikistan, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)


1. (C) The Tajik government may be ratcheting up its already
successful efforts to limit freedom of speech. National
Association of Independent Mass Media in Tajikistan (NANSMIT)
chairman, Nuriddin Karshiboev confided to Poloff December 16
that his contacts at the Ministry of Security--- his former
employer-said ministry employees complained about NANSMIT during
a staff meeting. In response to NANSMIT's criticism of the
government crackdown on mass media and free speech, the Minister
himself ordered his staff to investigate the organization. He
has also threatened to ban NANSMIT for their statements.


2. (SBU) Unfazed by MoS threats, Karshiboev noted NANSMIT
fully complies with all regulations and any attempt to ban
NANSMIT would be illegal. However, government pressure has had
its consequences; Karshiboev claimed certain international NGOs
refused to fund NANSMIT projects due to government crackdown on
independent media.


3. (U) NANSMIT recently called government policies a return to
Soviet-era censorship. The organization particularly criticized
the government's recent revision of the Law on Publishing
Business, passed by parliament in November. The change mandates
all editorial offices and publishers deliver a copy of new
publications prior to distribution to the Ministry which
registered the organization, (either the Ministry of Justice if
the media organization is its own entity, or the Ministry of
Culture if the publication is affiliated with another
organization).


4. (SBU) COMMENT: NANSMIT represents Tajikistan's only true
media watchdog organization, and even it toes a careful line in
its regular electronic publications so as not to incur the
authorities' wrath. Gearing up for next fall's presidential
election, the government has all but suspended registration of
new media organizations, unless they are state-sponsored, and
keeps a keen eye on mass media reporting. While the MoS has yet
to make an open or official investigation of NANSMIT, the rumors
of MoS intimidation fit into the growing pattern of governmental
interference in the media. END COMMENT.

ARMBRUSTER


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