From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Thu Oct 17 2002 - 10:14:41 EDT
Weekly report of events in the mass media of CIS states
Issue no. 39, October 7 - 13 , 2002
Centre for Journalism in Extreme Situations
4 Zubovsky Boulevard,
Moscow 119021, Russia
phone: (+ 7 095) 201-7626; 201-3550 comm. 124
fax: (+ 7 095) 201-7626
e-mail: panfilov@monitoring.ru
Web site: www.cjes.ru
I. Attacks on Journalists and Threats
Georgia/Abkhazia
Izida Chaniya, editor-in-chief of Russian language Nuzhnaya Gazeta
newspaper in Sukhumi, has been regularly hearing threats on the telephone for a
month that she will be killed unless she leaves Abkhazia. The Abkhaz UN human
rights office expressed concern over this.
Kazakhstan
It became known last week that an armed guard of the recently built tennis
center in Karaganda attacked journalist Natalya Fomina of Novyi Vestnik newspaper
and a photographer of the paper when they arrived on the scene to report a fire in
the center.
Kyrgyzstan
An official of the Osh region administration attacked Elmurad Zhusupaliyev,
a journalist of the Radio Liberty Uzbek service, who attended in his professional
capacity a rally in the city center.
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan's human rights society Civil Aid issued an urgent report on
October 11 about society Chairman Ruslan Sharipov, president of the Union of
Independent Journalists of Uzbekistan, hearing threats from Interior Ministry
officials, in particular Zafar Usmanov.
II. Detentions and Arrests
Uzbekistan/Kyrgyzstan
It was reported last week that Uzbek customs officials detained a Kyrgyz
journalist who prefers to stay anonymous at customs checkpoint Dustlik on
September 28, accused him of spying, beat him, moved him to a separate room and
told him to undress. After some time he was set free. On his return home he was
hospitalized with two ribs broken. The attack on the journalist followed a Voice of
America report by his colleague Alisher Saipov on the same day about corruption
among Uzbek customs officials. The International Federation of Journalists demanded
that Uzbek authorities provide security for Saipov and other Kyrgyz journalists.
III. Judicial and Legal Persecution
Kazakhstan
The persecution of Ekonomika. Finansy. Rynki newspaper continues unabated.
The paper's attorney Sergei Utkin said on October 10 that court bailiffs
confiscated an entire issue of the paper in the printing house under Almaty's Medeo
District Court order of August 12 that had punished the paper's former editor Askar
Darimbet by suspending the paper for six months. The authorities had banned the
sale of the paper in kiosks.
IV. Other Kinds of Pressure Brought to Bear on Editorial Boards and Journalists.
Conflicts with Authorities and NGOs
Armenia
A workshop on freedom of the press in Armenia in the eyes of the Council
of Europe discused in Yerevan on October 10 a resolution passed by the council's
Parliamentary Assembly about Armenia's honoring its commitments to the council.
Armenian journalists disagreed with the Parliamentary Assembly members who think
that the freedom of the press situation in the country is attributable to the low
level of professionalism and journalistic ethics to a lesser degree than to
obstruction and political pressure. Yerevan Press Club Chairman Boris Navasardian
said that the professionalism and journalistic ethics are shaped by shortages of
finances and administrative harassment.
Azerbaijan
Arif Aliyev, head of the journalistic association Yeni Nesil, told a
meeting of the Association of Leading Media Editors in the Baku press club on
October 9 that verbal attacks on independent media launched by certain members of
parliament and court suits against periodicals should end. This statement followed
threats made by numerous members of parliament representing the ruling party
against independent and opposition media. The editors regard those attacks as the
start of a new campaign against mass media.
The authorities continue pressing Gaya company engaged in dissemination of
periodicals. The company's last two kiosks were removed in Nakhichevan on October
10. Zakhid Azimov, chairman of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic's parliament,
told company director Khangusein Aliyev that Communication Ministry's kiosks were
being installed so "there is no need in kiosks of other companies."
Former editor-in-chief of Khalg newspaper Makhal Ismailoglu accused Azadlyg
newspaper of having published contracted articles against him. He also hinted that
Azadlyg is financed by the presidential headquarters. Azadlyg found Ismailoglu's
statement slanderous and said that it would sue him. On October 9 the two papers
agreed that the articles against Ismailoglu were inadmissible as were the charges
that he had leveled against Azadlyg.
Kyrgyzstan
Talas Turmushu, the mouthpiece of the Talas regional administration,
published an official Ethics Commission Resolution reporting that the city mayor's
wife had borrowed $25,000 from Promstroibank in 1996 and had not paid the money
back. The mayor demanded that the paper deny the report but the paper cannot
legally do so until the commission makes corrections officially.
Samidin Stambekov, editor of Akyikat, the mouthpiece of the Dzhalal-Abad
regional administration, told his subordinates on October 8 not to joint the
Independent Union of Kyrgyzstan's Journalists because they are already members of
the Culture Workers Trade Union. Still, several newspaper workers have applied for
membership in the Independent Union.
Almaz radio director Rustam Koshmuratov sent a statement on October 9 to
Deputy Prime Minister Dzhoomart Otorbayev questioning constitutionality of the
guidelines on contests for decimeter wave television and VHF FM radio broadcasting,
adopted on December 26, 2001 by the State Radio Frequency Commission. The
Constitution bans adopting legislation restricting the activities of mass media, he
argues.
Uzbekistan
The management of the Uzbek State TV and Radio Company fired two
journalists for "abusing their profession for self-interest." Abdulla Ningkobilov,
correspondent of the Akhborot information program, had allegedly blackmailed the
managers of a cotton gin in Tashkent region's Urta-Chirchik district and Sevara
Tursunova, the anchor of the Sunday analytical program Takhlilnoma, had allegedly
brought pressure to bear on tax service personnel in a Tashkent district.
Student Bakhodyr Elibayev of the School of Journalism in the Uzbek State
University of World Languages was expelled ostensibly for poor progress but the man
himself, the faculty and other students believe that the true cause is his articles
in the wall paper and satirical numbers in the students' TV contest.
V. Restricting Access to Information
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani parliament press service banned entry of the building with
photographic cameras. Cameras were taken from everybody but photographers of
official media.
VI. Initiatives by the Authorities and NGOs
Azerbaijan
The TV and Radio Broadcasting Law that defines legal, economic and
organizational fundamentals of TV and radio broadcasting activities took effect on
October 9. Under the law, all broadcasters, state and private, are equal.
Simultaneously President Heydar Aliyev signed a decree on the application of the
law providing for the setting up of a National TV and Radio Council that will
enforce observance of legislation in that field. The president will appoint all the
nine members of the council. Journalistic union Yeni Nesil chairman Arif Aliyev was
unhappy about this provision.
Uzbekistan
The Information Freedom Principles and Guarantees Bill to be sent to the
next parliament session was offered for public debate.
Comment by the Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations apprentice legal adviser
Viktoriya Blonskaya
(IV, Azerbaijan) If Makhal Ismailoglu does not apologize to Azadlyg
newspaper, he will face a court suit shortly. This was the essence of the paper's
press release about an article in Ekho newspaper of October 5 in which the former
editor-in-chief of Khalg newspaper accuses Azadlyg of having published contracted
articles against him.
This kind of strife within the journalistic community is surprising while
media has enough trouble from business tycoons and state bureaucrats suing
journalist for slander. It is as if two beavers fight over a broad river. The most
likely explanation is that these two men do not like each other and fight by
pouring unsustainable accusations at each other.
"The Azadlyg management reminds M. Ismailogl that he can avoid a court case
if he apologizes to Azadlyg in one of this paper's issues of this paper shortly."
This demand is not legally sound because the Azerbaijani Mass Media Law provides
for a denial of an earlier report on the same page and in the same medium outlet
where the report to be denied has been published. Consequently, it is Ekho that
must publish the denial.
Furthermore, the denial must specify what part of the report is untrue. The
paper may suggest to Ismailoglu that he withdraw information contained in his
report.
Event Quantity
Attacks on journalists Job-unrelated 1 - Ukraine
Job-related 1 - Georgia/Abkhazia
2 - Kazakhstan
1 - Kyrgyzstan
1 - Uzbekistan
1 - Uzbekistan/Kyrgyzstan
1- Ukraine
Journalists
Killed Job-unrelated 1 - Georgia
Job-related
Journalists detained and arrested
Legal and judicial persecution 1 - Belarus
2 - Moldova
1 - Uzbekistan/kyrgyzstan
Other kinds of harassing editorial boards and journalists 5 - Azerbaijan
1 - Armenia
5 - Belarus
1 - Kazakhstan
3 - Kyrgyzstan
2 - Moldova
1 - Uzbekistan/Kyrgyzstan
3 - Uzbekistan
15 - Ukraine
Restriction of access to information 1 - Azerbaijan
Initiatives of authorities and NGOs 1 - Azerbaijan
1 - Uzbekistan
1 - Ukraine
Disappeared journalists
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