DUSHANBE, April 30, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- The Media Alliance of Tajikistan (MAT) will mark World Press Freedom Day by holding an annual action of solidarity in Dushanbe on May 3.

According to MAT, an outdoor theatrical show will be organized outside the publishing house, Sharqi Ozod.

A ceremony of handover of the Mazhabsho Muhabbatshoyev Award, “For Bravery,” and the Otakhon Latifi Award, “For Professionalism,” will be held on sidelines of the action.  Besides, an anti-prize, “For the Most Inaccessible Department,” will be handed over on May 3.

Established in 2005, the Media Alliance of Tajikistan now groups a number of independent media of Tajikistan.  Among them are TV stations SMT and Regar , radio station Vatan , weeklies Farazh , Manu Tu and Kuryer Tadzhikistana as well as the news agency Avesta.     

The United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 to be World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and marking the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in 1991.

UNESCO marks World Press Freedom Day by conferring the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on a deserving individual, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defense and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger. Created in 1997, the prize is awarded on the recommendation of an independent jury of 14 news professionals. Names are submitted by regional and international non-governmental organizations working for press freedom, and by UNESCO member states.

UNESCO also marks World Press Freedom Day each year by bringing together media professionals, press freedom organizations and UN agencies to assess the state of press freedom worldwide and discuss solutions for addressing challenges. Each conference is centered around a theme related to press freedom, including good governance, media coverage of terrorism, impunity and the role of media in post-conflict countries.