POPULAR WEEKLY CLOSED BY UZBEK AUTHORITIES

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 001447

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR KPAO UZ
SUBJECT: POPULAR WEEKLY CLOSED BY UZBEK AUTHORITIES

Classified By: CDA Brad Hanson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) The Uzbek Agency for Press and Information closed the
popular Uzbek Islam-oriented weekly Odamlar Orasida (Among
the People) on July 30 for alleged violation of media laws.
The Uzbek authorities, unsurprisingly, did not outline the
specific breaches of the law.


2. (C) Launched in February 2007 with a circulation of only
2,000 copies, Odamlar Orasida enjoyed quick and significant
expansion of readership, publishing 11,000 copies at the time
of its closure only five months after commencing its work.
Commentators opined in web-based news reports that these
statistics alone could have led to the paper's demise. They
noted that the Uzbek authorities looked poorly upon papers
which reached more people than government publications. The
newspaper's editor-in-chief and former Edward R. Murrow
Grantee, Khairulla Khamidov, shared with Embassy staff on
August 2 that he believes President Karimov's daughter, who
owns a number of media outlets, may have personally called
for the paper's closure, fearing its popularity.


3. (U) Khamidov developed a reputation of publishing
eye-opening, intellectual articles on a broad range of topics
not typically covered in Uzbek newspapers. While avoiding
political news directly, the paper raised sensitive subjects
such as the problem of corruption and bribes in Uzbek
society, the possible harm of vaccinations to children, and
the establishment of prostitution rings in the capital,
despite their illegality. The issues outlined in the
newspaper became the focus of discussions throughout the
city. Adept at combining secular with religious topics,
Khamidov continues to lead a weekly religious radio program.


4. (C) Comment: While the Uzbek Constitution guarantees
freedom of speech, the silencing of this popular weekly
underscores yet again the Uzbek government's determination to
snuff out independent voices in Uzbekistan. Khamidov
speculated that these hard-line tactics may increase in the
lead up to the Presidential elections in December 2007. This
was not the first time Khamidov ran into difficulties with
the Uzbek authorities. He was fired from State Radio when he
returned from his International Visitor Program.
HANSON