DUSHANBE, February 25, 2014, Asia-Plus – Editor of the Asia-Plus newspaper, Ms. Olga Tutubalina, considers that a verdict passed by a court over commentary written by her is “another indicator of limitation of freedom of speech in Tajikistan.”

“Plaintiffs and their representatives have failed to produce any evidence that the article caused moral suffering to them,” said Tutubalina.  “It is impossible in principle to prove that they have sustained moral suffering from the publication.  These accusations are absolutely farfetched.  As far as the publication of a disclaimer is concerned, it is impossible to disclaim anybody’s opinion.  There are no any facts in the article to be disclaimed.  As far as the debatable phrase itself is concerned, I say in my commentary that “I would like to say, to repeat that phrase.”  But I did not repeat it.”

Asia-Plus’s editor notes that the court decision is continuation of pressure on freedom of speech in the country.

“I consider that this ruling is another blow to freedom of speech,” said she.  “I am sure that this is continuation of pressure on media and it will probably continue.”

Meanwhile, lawyer Inoyat Inoyatov, who represented the newspaper and Tutubalina in the trial, says he intends to appeal against the court’s decision.

We will recall that a court in Dushanbe’s Firdavsi district that considered a case pitting five Tajik creating unions and three separate individuals (D. Abdiyeva, A. Rajabov and H. Rahmatov) against the Asia-Plus newspaper and its editor, Ms. Olga Tutubalina, ruled on February 25 that the newspaper and its editor must publish a disclaimer and pay 30,000 somoni to D. Abdiyeva, A. Rajabov and H. Rahmatov.

Five Tajik creative unions and thee separate individuals have filed a lawsuit against the Asia-Plus newspaper and its editor Olga Tutubalina in the court in Dushanbe’s Firdavsi district.  They asked for 200,000 somoni as compensation for moral damage.

The case stems from the article by Olga Tutubalina published in the newspaper on May 29, 2013.  In her article about Tajik intelligentsia, Ms. Tutubalina used citation from Lenin’s letter to Maxim Gorky of September 15, 1919, “The intellectual forces of the workers and peasants are growing and getting stronger in their fight to overthrow the bourgeoisie and their accomplices, the educated classes, the lackeys of capital, who consider themselves the brains of the nation.  In fact they are not its brains but its shit.”

Plaintiffs say the article by Olga Tutubalina insulted honor and dignity as well as reputation of a large social group of people and caused moral damage to them.   

For her part, Ms. Tutubalina said that she did not mean to insult anyone.  At the same time, she insisted she had nothing to apologize for.