Journalist Call in relation to pressures exerted by Uzbek authorities on Uzbekistan journalists

A group of
journalists–graduates of Journalists and Democracy Media Program,
FOJO,
Sweden, 2008, express their concern with regard to the pressure exerted by
Uzbek authorities on the journalist Abdoumalik Boboev, correspondent of Voice
of
America, as well as on other journalists of this country in connection
with
their professional activities, and request that such journalist abuses
are
ceased.

Uzbekistan Prosecutor’s Office has initiated criminal
investigations against the
Voice of America correspondent Malik Boboev. Four
articles of the Criminal Code
of the Republic of Uzbekistan are incriminated
against him at once: Art.139
(Calumny), Art.140 (Insult), Art.223 (Illegal
Exit or Illegal Entry of the
Republic of Uzbekistan), and Art.244, letter b
(Manufacturing or Disseminating
Materials Posing Threat to Public Security
and Public order).

Letter b) of Article 244-1 implies that the crime was
committed “by using
financial or other material help, received from
religious organizations as well
as from foreign countries, organizations and
citizens.” Apparently, it is Voice
of America that is meant by ‘foreign
organization’. Under this Article, the
journalist risks imprisonment for
five to eight years.

The forty-one-year-old Abdoumalik Boboev has been
working as correspondent for
Voice of America since 2006. He does not have
official accreditation for this –
he applied a few times for accreditation
with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Uzbekistan but never received an
answer.

To note that the cooperation with foreign media that are not
officially
accredited in Uzbekistan, despite the acting legislation in the
country and all
the international agreements signed thereby in this area, is
considered by the
national authorities as a serious violation.

In January
2010, Abdoumalik Boboev, together with other five independent
journalists,
was called to the Tashkent Prosecutor’s Office to give explanations
about
their professional activity that extremely irritated the state
authorities.
In such conditions, the journalists who are signing this Call ascertain that
the
Uzbek authorities, through their actions, try to suppress freedom of
expression,
freedom of speech and to restrict the access of citizens to
information. To note
that 11 journalists are currently kept in detention in
Uzbekistan. Journalists
from many countries condemn the pressure exerted by
the representatives of force
structures on journalists who do their job, and
demand that the said abuses and
illegalities be immediately ceased and that
the indicated cases be investigated
and the persons guilty of committing
abuses in regard to the journalists be held
accountable.

Taking into
account the importance of observing citizens right to access to
information
via mass media and the right to freedom of expression, as well as
freedom of
speech, the journalists are calling on the authorities of the
Republic of
Uzbekistan to ensure the freedom of mass media by virtue of their
obligations
deriving from the status of membership of UN and of other
international
organizations. At the same time, the journalists signing this
document call
on the international community to take a stand and to condemn the
undemocratic methods used by Uzbek authorities against professional
journalists.

This Call is open for signing to all journalists and media
outlets.

Cornelia Cozonac, prezident of Center for Investigative Journalism
(Moldova)

Marat Tokoev, chief of the Public Association "Journalists"
(Kyrgyzstan)

Nargis Kasymova, chief of the Public Organization "Dast ba
dast" (Tajikistan)

Ia Bobokhidze, Editor In Chief of newspaper "Akhali
Gazeti" and Executive
director of "Georgian Regional Media Association"
(Georgia)

Anna Israelyan, Senior Reporter of Armenian daily "Aravot"
Vladimer Menabde, Editor In Chief of newspaper "Guriismoambe" (Georgia)
Svetlana Chuikina, journalist, TV K+ (Kazakstan)

Natalia Silitkaia,
correspondent of the weekly "News of the Day", vice-chairman
of the
Association of Russian Journalists (Moldova)

Polina Legina, journalist of
newspaper "Belorusy i rynok", (Belarus)

Zaur Rasulzade, Senior Reporter of
1news.az (Azerbaidjan)

Fridon Dochia, Editor of newspaper
“Georgian
Times” (Georgia).

Sergey Naumov, journalist (Uzbekistan)

Said Yanishev,
journalist (Uzbekistan)

Vahagn Antonyan, journalist,"Peace Dialogue" NGO,
(Armenia),

Olga Kraus Editor In Chief of
newspaper "Novyi Vestnik" ,
Karaganda (Kazakstan)

Veronika Menjoun, Project manager Media Institute
Fojo, (Sweden)

Marina Karlsson, Interpreter, KarlssonMedia, (Sweden)
Маts Аndersson, freelanse, Stokholm, (Sweden)

Eugen Urusciuc, Editor In
Chief of News Agenty Monitor Media (Moldova)

Tudor Iascenco, Editor In Chief
of newspaper “Cuvintul”, vice-chairman of the
Association of Independent
Press (Moldova)

Ion Mazur, Center for Independent Journalism (Moldova)
Natalia Porubin, journalist of newspaper “Evenimentul Zilei” (Moldova)
Liliana Ursu, Translator, Investigative Journalism Center (Moldova)

Sergiu
Afanasiu, chief of the Association Freelansees Journalists (AZIL)
(Moldova)
Alina Turcanu, journalist of newspaper TIMPUL (Moldova)

Viorica Mija,
vice-chairman of the Association of Journalists in Medicine
(Moldova)
Gheorge Copot, Editor In Chief of newspaper “Vocea poporului” (Moldova)
Victoria Tataru, executive director of Asociation
CAPTES (Moldova)