KHUJAND, February 10, Asia-Plus  -- The public reception room of Tajikistan’s Human Rights Ombudsman Office’s for Sughd province has been shut down in Khujand.

Istadmurod Akramov, the head of the public reception room of Tajikistan’s Human Rights Ombudsman Office’s for Sughd province, says he knew about the closure of the public reception room from Tajikistan’s Human Rights Ombudsman Office in Dushanbe.  “According to them, the public reception room was closed following the stoppage of the financing,” Akramov said, noting that the public reception rooms were closed in other regions of the country for the same reason.

Akramov, however, considers that the public reception room in Khujand was closed for another reason.  According to him, the main reason for shutting down the public reception room of Tajikistan’s Human Rights Ombudsman Office’s for Sughd province is critical articles published in local media sources, including his article about involvement of a group of local officials in corruption in the 2011 Hajj arrangements.