DUSHANBE, June 6, 2013, Asia-Plus – Regional independent television channel K+ has been available in Tajikistan again since June 5.

We will recall that access to K+ Channel was blocked on May 28.  Shortly before that, K+ has repeatedly broadcast a program in the Tajik language with participation of Tajik opposition journalist Dodojon Atovulloyev criticizing President Emomali Rahmon.  A homemade video depicting President Rahmon dancing at his son’s wedding was shown during the program.  Access to K+ was blocked three days after the video was aired.  The wedding in question took place three years ago.

Some experts suggested that access to the K+ Channel had been blocked because of that program but specialists from the Tajik communications service agency asserted that it was impossible to block access to a satellite channel.

K+ is a satellite channel that broadcasts news from Kazakhstan and Central Asia.  The programming, believed to be pro-opposition in some republics, is available via satellite, online on the channel’s official website, as well as on YouTube.

K+ has not been available in Kazakhstan since December 2012.  A court in Almaty handed down a ruling on December 6, 2012 prohibiting the broadcast in Kazakhstan of any material produced by K+ or its affiliates.