"Fear of Freedom" Drives Uzbek Media, Web Restrictions

Speaking at an OSCE human rights conference in Warsaw last week, Suhrobjon Ismoilov, who heads the Expert Working Group, a think-tank in Uzbekistan, raised serious concerns about the position of journalists and the dire state of the media in the Central Asian republic.

In the last two years, the authorities have prosecuted three reporters on dubious charges, while two others – Dilmurod Saidov and Solijon Abdurahmanov – continue to serve lengthy sentences.

Ismoilov spoke to NBCentralAsia about the media situation in Uzbekistan, and the extent to which international pressure can influence government policies/

NBCentralAsia: What is the current position of journalists and media in Uzbekistan?

Suhrobjon Ismoilov: The situation that Uzbekistan’s journalists, and the media generally, find themselves in can be described as critical. Above all, this is because the government’s authoritarian policies, founded on a fear of media freedom, prevent Uzbek journalists and media outlets from carrying out their useful functions.

For the sake of their careers, and maybe also their personal safety, Uzbek journalists are forced to cover anodyne subjects and produce reports that are far removed from the real issues facing their society. Most prefer to report only positive news, which distances them from reality and hence from their audience.

This explains the very low standing and reputation that journalists and the media have, and the lack of trust and respect for them. It’s neither popular nor profitable to work as a journalist.

Even so, I believe the Uzbek authorities understand the important role that journalists can play, and realise the time has come to improve freedom of speech, expression, media and information. But no one wants to assume responsibility for doing this, or to speak about the need for substantive reforms towards freedom of speech. Officials, just like journalists, are motivated by fear for their security and future career.

NBCentralAsia: Uzbekistan has recently seen a rapid growth in the number of internet users. The authorities have responded by stepping up their control of the internet. Under such circumstances, how can social media develop?

Ismoilov: I think the authorities in Uzbekistan, just like those in other countries, are no longer able to exert total control over the internet and related resources. The internet has now become an essential means of communication not just for people, but also for official state institutions inside and outside the country, and for the private sector.

The Uzbek government will pursue occasional attempts to control websites and resources that they view as containing harmful ideas. But I don't think they will seek to cut the country off completely from the worldwide web.

There’s no doubt there’s a need for government supervision of the internet – that is shown by the rising incidence of cyber-crime, including the threat from international terrorists. The important thing is to ensure that this supervision doesn’t clash with freedom of speech, expression and information, and that it is carried out in a way that is objective, transparent and in accordance with human rights laws and principles.

In this regard, the situation in Uzbekistan is problematic. Take, for example, the recently-established special committee of experts to analyse internet content and block "undesirable" websites and resources. This shows the authorities are determined to monitor internet activity closely, insofar as that is possible. The committee clearly aims to act as internet censor, even though this will be very difficult to do from a technical point of view.

As for the development of social media sites, I think these have already become self-regulating. In the long run, the number of sites and users in Uzbekistan can only grow larger.

NBCentralAsia: To what extent can appeals to the international community achieve change in the media and in civil society?

Ismoilov: If these are just pro forma appeals, they will have little effect. Assuming that engagement with international institutions takes place in an intelligent and timely fashion, with regular communication and an exchange of ideas and suggestions, then international interventions might be helpful in promoting basic human rights and other matters of public interest.

I believe civil society in Uzbekistan is still at the learning stage, where it is acquiring experience of how to engage with the international community. It is still finding it hard to understand the complex nexus of institutional and geopolitical interests that drive international actors, and how to make effective use of these in pursuit of its own goals.

This article was produced as part of IWPR's News Briefing Central Asia output, funded by the National Endowment for Democracy.