DUSHANBE, March 3, 2012, Asia-Plus – Several Internet providers in Tajikistan have blocked access to a number of independent websites, including Facebook.

An official source in one of Internet service providing company told Asia-Plus that several Internet service providing companies on Friday (March 2) received official written or verbal notice from the Communications Service under the Government of Tajikistan to block access to a number of websites “in connection with the accrued necessity.”

“Lists of websites to be blocked differ from each other, but all of them include three websites: Facebook.com; Zvezda.ru; and Tjknews.com,” said the source, “The fourth website – Maxala.org -- was put on the list little later.”

Not all Internet service providing companies have blocked access to Facebook so far.  Meanwhile, practically all the Internet service providing companies on March 2 blocked access to Zvezda.ru, which posted a critical material about Tajikistan on February 28.

Asia-Plus has failed to get comments from the Communications Service.

Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook Inc.  As of February 2012, Facebook has more than 845 million active users