VZCZCXRO9350
RR RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #0940/01 1990325
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 170325Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0791
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0204
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0129
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0173
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0142

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000940 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA and PA/PR/FPCW 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO KDEM PHUM TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: RFE/RL CONTROVERSY BOILING OVER IN DUSHANBE 
 
¶1. (U) Sensitive But Unclassified - Not for Internet Distribution. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary: A personnel management dispute at the RFE/RL 
bureau headquarters in Dushanbe has spilled into the public domain 
and Tajik journalists are siding with the reporters.  Two former 
employees - one was dismissed, the other resigned - filed lawsuits 
against the station and held separate press conferences in Dushanbe 
July 10 and 15 to enumerate their grievances.  A local media rights 
organization and the union of journalists issued a statement July 11 
expressing concern about "a systematic pattern of pressure" at 
RFE/RL.  RFE/RL's director of Tajik service suspects Tajik security 
forces are behind the public denunciations and worries that the MFA 
may decline to re-register RFE/RL, which has been waiting for the 
renewal of its annual registration since May 16.  End summary. 
 
Press Conference by Disgruntled Employee No. 1 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶3. (SBU) On July 10, Sayofi Mizrob, formerly a reporter for RFE/RL's 
Tajik service, held a press conference outside RFE/RL's offices in 
Dushanbe and charged RFE/RL management with violating employees' 
rights and the local labor code by demanding long working hours and 
offering low pay.  Rod Shahidi, the Director of RFE/RL's Tajik 
Service (resident in Prague), told PAO that Mizrob was unhappy with 
a newly negotiated contract and refused to sign it.  Before the 
press conference local reporters tried to get the reaction of the 
Tajik bureau chief Mirzonabi Kholiqzoda, but he did not know about 
Mizrob's press conference, was caught off guard, and had no answers 
to the questions.  Reporters said Kholiqzoda was rude and were put 
off by his manner.  In response to press queries the PAO commented 
that the dispute was a management issue to be decided between RFE/RL 
supervisors and employees and referred reporters to Shahidi. 
Embassy contacts said Shahidi apologized to reporters for 
Kholiqzoda's behavior. 
 
Press Conference by Disgruntled Employee No. 2 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶4. (U) On July 15, Kholiq Sangin, an RFE/RL reporter who was fired 
in October 2007 for being absent without leave, held his own press 
conference at the union of journalists headquarters to explain "each 
and every point in [his employment contract] that violates 
Tajikistan's labor code."  He also took a few swipes at Shahidi and 
the embassy for failing to champion his cause. 
 
¶5. (U) Sangin said that RFE/RL employed him as a freelance reporter 
to avoid paying him overtime and other weekend and holiday premiums 
to which he would be entitled as a full time staff reporter.  He 
said RFE/RL had followed an illegal policy for "the past 10-11 
years" of employing freelance reporters.  He said the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs only accredits full time reporters, meaning the 
freelance RFE/RL reporters had been working without accreditation or 
obtained accreditation illegally.  He said the station changed the 
contracts to full time staff only after he filed his suit, because 
management knew the previous policy had been illegal. 
 
Judge Dismisses Sangin's Lawsuit 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Sangin criticized the embassy for not commenting on a U.S. 
Government supported organization violating the rights of reporters. 
 Sanginov also mentioned the embassy had nominated him for a 
reporting tour in the United States, then revoked the offer after 
Qreporting tour in the United States, then revoked the offer after 
finding out about his lawsuit.  (Note: In late April PAO informed 
Sangin that the Washington Foreign Press Center was concerned he 
would not be able to make court appearances in Tajikistan if he were 
in the United States and cancelled his participation in the Foreign 
Press Center tour. End note.)  Shahidi told PAO that Sangin was in 
fact called to appear in court for his lawsuit on six separate 
occasions from February to May, but he failed to appear most of the 
time.  He said the judge threw out the current suit on July 15, but 
said Sangin could open a new case if he chose to do so. 
 
RFE/RL Convicted in the Court of Public Opinion 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶7. (U) Public statements and private comments by embassy contacts 
indicate the mood of Dushanbe's media community has turned against 
RFE/RL.  On July 11 NANSMIT, an influential local media rights 
organization, and the local union of journalists issued a joint 
statement expressing concern about a "systematic pattern of 
pressure" applied by RFE/RL's Tajik Service on reporters, and citing 
the dismissal of Kholiq Sangin and the resignation of Mizrob in 
protest of unfair policies as examples of "a discriminatory policy 
in resolving internal disagreements."  During Sangin's July 15 press 
conference, Akbarali Sattorov, head of the Union of Journalists, 
 
DUSHANBE 00000940  002 OF 002 
 
 
said that the union supported Sangin because his case was not 
political, but a human rights issue about a reporter asserting his 
rights with a media organization.  Finally, the editor of a 
progressive Tajik language newspaper told emboff he had done 
freelance work for RFE/RL and had never collected his pay, but in 
light of the allegations against the station, would not work with 
the station again. 
 
RFE/RL Waits Anxiously for Re-Registration 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶8. (SBU) In several conversations the past week with PAO, Shahidi 
has said he suspects Tajik security forces are behind what seem to 
be coordinated denunciations.  He said a source in the MFA, the 
accrediting agency for foreign media, had told Dushanbe bureau chief 
Kholiqzoda that the prosecutor and the security services are 
pressuring the MFA to "shut RFE/RL down" or considerably limit its 
activity.  Shahidi also said a source told him other former RFE/RL 
reporters have "been approached and asked to hold press conferences" 
against the station.  The station's registration, which has to be 
renewed annually, expired on May 16.  Kholiqzoda said he was told by 
Suleymon Rashidov, deputy head of the MFA's Information Service, 
that 80% of the foreign media in Tajikistan, including BBC, are 
waiting for registration, pending receipt of special notarial ink 
and forms.  Kholiqzoda said Rashidov expects decisions would be made 
in the next couple of days. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Comment: When reporting for RFE/RL, both Sangin and Mizrob 
were bold in investigating and publicizing issues in the public 
interest, even if that meant criticizing government performance. 
Their comments in the past week sounded more like defensive talking 
points we've sometimes heard from the Government.  Sangin said 
RFE/RL often criticized the Government for violating people's 
rights, but refused to explain why he was fired.  Mizrob said RFE/RL 
had broadcast only critical articles which "hurt the image of the 
Government and its people."  He said he was quitting his job rather 
than "oppose his people and homeland."  He challenged the station to 
openly declare whether it was a real news source or a "mouthpiece 
for the opposition."  He said, "Incidents in Kulyab, Badakhshan, and 
Garm add more oil to the fire.  What does Radio Liberty want, 
another civil war?"  End Comment. 
 
JACOBSON