US embassy cable - 05DUSHANBE1732

UNCLAS  DUSHANBE 001732 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EUR/CACEN, EUR/PPD, EUR/ACE, SA, DRL 
NSC FOR MERKEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PINR, PROP, KDEM, KPAO, TI 
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN:  FERMENT FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA 
 
 
1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Please handle accordingly. 
Not for public Internet. 
 
2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  While the Government of Tajikistan is loathe 
to license new independent media outlets, ferment is occurring. 
A new, independent weekly newspaper has appeared, albeit with 
microscopic circulation.  The same company has appealed to the 
Ambassador to lend diplomatic support to its application to 
register a new FM radio station.  Likewise, a Tajik NGO has 
appealed for help to license a new public television station. 
An existing Tajik public relations company, backed by wealthy 
Tajik businessmen in Tajikistan and Russia, has received a 
license to rebroadcast in Dushanbe Moscow's "Europa-Plus" radio 
station, and also wants to found a new television station.  The 
Ministry of Justice, responsible for licensing, still keeps a 
tight grip to prevent anything "political" not approved by the 
inner circle of decision makers.  Any truly independent, 
non-self-censored media will face an uphill battle.  END SUMMARY 
 
 
"2X2" 
 
3.  (SBU) A new weekly newspaper, "2X2," has been appearing in 
Dushanbe for the last six weeks - but only with 99 copies so 
that it remains under the legal requirement for registration.  A 
project of the Avesta Internet Agency, which already produces 
reliable and independent Interet and e-mail subscription news ( 
www.avesta.tj  ), "2X2" is centrist and 
somewhat critical of the government. 
 
A-MEDIA 
 
4.  (SBU) Chief Editor Zafar Abdullayev is also the director of 
Information Agency Avesta and chairman of the Tajik NGO, 
Foundation in Support of Democracy "Kuhi Nor," which is an Open 
Society Institute project.  Abdullayev was a co-founder of the 
independent newspaper, "Asia Plus," but broke away to found his 
own media outlet.  A key editor for "2X2" is Zebo Tadjibaeva, 
also previously with "Asia Plus" as well as a media adviser for 
the Democratic Party of Tajikistan. 
 
5.  (SBU) Abdullayev sent the Ambassador a letter on October 18 
recounting his attempts for the last six months to register a 
new business, A-Media, with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). 
A-Media would then apply separately for licenses for "2X2" and 
for a new independent FM radio station.   MoJ has played its 
standard game of ignoring the application or repeatedly 
returning it because of "grammatical errors."  Abdullayev asked 
the Ambassador to advocate his case with the Government of 
Tajikistan as part of the broader U.S. advocacy for democracy in 
Tajikistan. 
 
TV MARKAZ 
 
6.  (SBU) The Director of the Tajik NGO "Fides," Maarouf 
Muhamedov, sent a letter to the U.S. Embassy October 24 
detailing his so-far failed attempts with the MoJ to gain a 
license for a new public television station, TV Markaz.  MoJ 
made clear that TV Markaz would not be registered because of 
"instruction from top officials not to proceed with registering 
media organizations."  Mumamedov asked, like Abdullayev, that 
the U.S. Embassy, as the defender of democracy in the region, 
advocate with the government for free and independent media. 
 
EUROPA-PLUS 
 
7.  (SBU) A group of wealthy Tajik businessmen in Tajikistan and 
Russia, headed by Nurullo Fasilov of MKR (an Internet, 
 
advertising, and public relations firm), has received a license 
for a new private FM radio station in Dushanbe to rebroadcast 
Moscow's Europa Plus.  They also hope to obtain a license for a 
private TV station, but no information is available on the 
origin of the programming.  Reportedly the MoJ told Fazilov 
he'll get his license, "but if you broadcast anything 
'political' we'll close you down." 
 
8.  (SBU) COMMENT:  The intriguing factor in the Europa Plus 
development is that some rich businessmen in Dushanbe are not 
all that satisfied with the current government but are keeping 
their heads down.  It's conceivable that Europa Plus might be a 
way for them to position themselves for the future.  Some of 
them may also be involved with TV Markaz, since Muhamedov hinted 
that "Fides" would be only one of the shareholders in his 
proposed independent TV station.  END COMMENT. 
 
 
HOAGLAND 
 
 
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