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Tajik Editor Sees Politics Behind Paper's Shutdown


The editor-in-chief of a weekly newspaper in Tajikistan's southern city of Kulob says his periodical has been suspended by authorities due to political reasons.

Ahmad Ibragim told RFE/RL on April 23 that "Paik" (News) was forced to halt operations a week ago after it published articles criticizal of the local and central government.

The head of the Information and Periodicals Directorate at Tajikistan's Culture Ministry, Saifullo Kadyrov, told RFE/RL that the newspaper had been suspended over "technical reasons."

Kadyrov said the newspaper had failed to re-register with authorities after what he said was a five-month "probation" period.

However, editor Ibragim said he and his colleagues had never been informed about such a regulation and had been unaware that the newspaper had to re-register.

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

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