DUSHANBE, October 15, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- The National Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan (Nansmit) yesterday sent a letter to Defense Minister Sherali Khairulloyev, asking him to name specific media “sympathizing with terrorists,” according to the Nansmit monitoring service.

The Nansmit head Nouriddin Qarshiboyev says defense minister’s accusations are absolutely unfounded and in accordance with Article 10 of Tajikistan’s Law “On the Right of Access to Information”, Khairulloyev must name specific journalists and publications, whom he suspects of sympathizing with terrorists.

In its letter, Nansmit also asks to present the video recording of a Defense Ministry statement that was broadcast on Tajik national TV on September 25 in order to thoroughly study the issue and take necessary steps to settle conflict between the Defense Ministry and independent media.

We will recall that in a statement issued on October 4, Defense Minister Sherali Khairulloyev accused independent media of biased and one-sided coverage of a September 19 attack on a military convoy in Rasht and sympathizing with militants who ambushed the convoy.

Several days that (September 25), Tajik national television broadcast the Defense Ministry statement criticizing initial coverage of the incident by independent media.