Tajikistan
New Laws could Restrict SpeechPosted Oct 20 2007
The media freedom representative for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Miklos Haraszti, urged the Tajik government on Sept. 21 to curb recent changes to its criminal code as they could restrict the people’s freedom of speech, and further asked lawmakers to change the legislation more akin to Western standards, the OSCE said in a press release.
The recently signed amendments by Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon could hold Tajik citizens culpable for simply taking part in Internet conversations via forums or chat groups.
Haraszti cited particular phrases as concerning, targeting the “intentional distribution via the Internet of knowingly false, libelous and insulting information, as well as expletive words and phrases which denigrate the dignity of human personality.”
Haraszti calls such language as “vague,” making such things as online debates, discussions, emails, online journals, news portals and personal web sites accountable under these new laws.