DUSHANBE, February 28, 2014, Asia-Plus – Tajik media organizations have expressed concern about a decision by a court in Dushanbe’s Firdavsi district that requires newspaper Asia-Plus and its editor to pay damages for defaming the country''s intelligentsia.

A statement, released by the Media Council, the National Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan (Nansmit), the Media Alliance of Tajikistan and the Homa Public Association today, notes that media organizations of the country are seriously concerned over the ruling handed down by the Firdavsi district court on February 25 over the lawsuit filed by five creative units and three representatives of the Tajik intelligentsia against Asia-Plus and its editor Olga Tutubalina.

The statement also notes that norms and requirements of procedure laws were violated during the trial that was preconceived.

Besides, the Media Council thoroughly studied the article “Unintelligent about Intelligentsia” and did not find any violations of norms of journalism ethic, the statement says.

“It should be noted that such an attitude towards cases involving journalists has becoming a trend.  The judgment filed against Asia-Plus’ s editor Olga Tutubalina, the author of the article entitled “Unintelligent about Intelligentsia,” is a fresh example of unfair attitude of the judicial system towards journalists and a kind of pressure on free activity of journalists and threat to freedom of speech in our society,” the statement said.               

We will recall that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has also expressed regret over the Firdavsi district court’s decision regarding the article “Unintelligent about Intelligentsia.”

In a statement issued on February 26, Ms. Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE''s representative on freedom of the media, said “a democratic society must allow for public debate without triggering financial penalties.”

She, in particular, noted that a civil district court on February 25 awarded an amount equivalent to approximately €4,500 to three plaintiffs that had claimed they were damaged by the article, “Unintelligent about Intelligentsia,” even though they were not named in the story.

“They said they endured “physical and mental suffering” from statements allegedly insulting the intelligentsia which were published on the Asia Plus website.

“If those who can claim injury are not clearly defined, any disagreement of opinion could end up as a damage claim.”