The “100 Days of Freedom in Tajnet” action launched in Tajikistan

DUSHANBE, October 3, 2012, Asia-Plus -- To protect rights and interests of media and ensure solidarity of journalists of Tajikistan, heads of media and media organizations of Tajikistan have worked out a plan of actions to protect rights and interests of journalists, the National Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan (Nansmit) reports.

The plan, in particular, includes an action, dubbed “100 Days of Freedom in Tajnet.”  This action stipulates holding online events in Tajnet, posting modular advertising materials on social networking sites, airing public service announcements (PSAs) on radio, creating banners for all media, general avatar for journalists for 100 days, etc.  The action has started today.

A statement released by the action organizers notes that by September 8, 2012, the number of websites blocked in Tajikistan has reached 50.  “Among them are websites that failed to comply with norms of the country’s legislation and morals.  At the same time, there are local news websites such as www.news.tj and www.tojnews.org among them.  What unites them is they were blocked ILLEGALLY, without court’s decision, bypassing the country’s legislation.  ‘Departmental feudalism’ is becoming a norm in such an important sector as ICTs (information and communications technologies), unintentionally turning the authorities into “enemy of Internet,” the statement said.

Media organizations also plan to carry out individual work with managers of all Internet-cafes, release elucidative leaflets, hold roundtables, and so forth.

They also plan to lodge application to the Constitutional Court regarding pre-trial blockage of access to websites.