Tajik journalists say the closure of Radio Ozodi’s bureau in Dushanbe can become catastrophe for the country’ media market.     

The Foreign Ministry of Tajikistan has refused to grant accreditation to several journalists of Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, locally known as Radio Ozodi. 

In a statement released on July 3, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan said that its analysis of Ozodi content had shown that instead of reporting important news, the broadcaster was instead engaging in the publication of sensational and inaccurate information.

The note also accused Ozodi of acting as a propaganda wing for banned opposition groups such as the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan, or IRPT, and Group-24.  

Some Tajik journalists and bloggers called for the closure of the Ozodi bureau in Dushanbe.

Meanwhile, colleagues from other Tajik publications say that the closure of the Ozodi bureau can become catastrophe for all media market of Tajikistan because Radio Ozodi created an information atmosphere.   

This year, thing have gone bad for Radio Ozodi from the very beginning.   

Eurasianet reported in March that Radio Ozodi has faced Washington’s scrutiny. Critics see Radio Ozodi as overly accommodating to the strongman president, unintentionally enabling him to gloss over his abuses.   

According to Eurasianet’s sources, that communication has over several years led to Prague-based senior editors at RFE/RL quashing or watering down stories – especially those that reflect badly on President Emomali Rahmon and his extended family.

As a result, critics say, Ozodi is ineffective in performing its watchdog responsibilities: to hold Tajikistan’s regime to account for its myriad human rights violations and report on the unbridled nepotism suffocating economic development, according to Eurasianet.

This evaluation is reportedly echoed in an internal U.S. State Department memo that has been obtained by Eurasianet.  The authors of that document argue that when Ozodi “parrots an authoritarian government’s messaging to its own people,” it risks undermining Washington’s standing across a strategically important region.

“The United States cannot risk further staining the American brand in an information space already dominated by anti-American disinformation and anti-democratic norms,” the memo reads.

As a result of the investigation, Sojida Mirzo was relieved of her post of Director of Radio Ozodi and was replaced with Salim Ayubzod.  

Media experts and journalists note that Radio Ozodi’s content has changed after appointment of Salim Ayubzod to the position of Radio Ozodi Director.   

“The publication content has changed.  No so drastically, of course, but the topics have become more hot,” says Tajik journalist Rajab Mirzo.   

After criticism expressed by Western colleagues, Tajik officials have gone for Radio Ozodi.   

The Foreign Ministry noted on July 3 that its analysis of Ozodi content had shown that instead of reporting important news, the broadcaster was instead engaging in the publication of sensational and inaccurate information.  The note also accused Ozodi of acting as a propaganda wing for banned opposition groups.

“The country’s legislation forbids the publication of material that incites the violent overthrow of the constitutional order and incitement to interreligious and interethnic hatred,” said the statement.

Last month, representatives of Radio Ozodi were summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and chided for their reporting on an opposition party that was banned in 2015.  An official in the Foreign Ministry’s press department then seized the press card of video journalist Barot Yusuf.

Four other reporters of Radio Ozodi are currently waiting for extension of their accreditation.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, on June 27 called upon the Tajik authorities to reconsider the withdrawal of press accreditation for a Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) correspondent in Dushanbe.

“It is of great concern that a journalist working for a critical outlet is denied press accreditation.  Accreditation should not serve as a tool to control content or restrict the flow of information,” said Désir.  “I call on the authorities to reinstate Barotali Nazarov’s accreditation and to issue accreditation to his colleagues at RFE/RL.”

The head of the National Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan (Nansmit), Nouriddin Qarshiboyev, also says that Radio Ozodi is an authoritative source of information, especially for the Tajik-speaking population of the country.  

“I am not supporter of the closure of the Ozodi bureau.  It is very easy to forbid, this is the easiest way that can ruin Tajikistan’s reputation in international arena,” said Qarshiboyev.