RFE/RL's Tajik Site Appears To Be Blocked

DUSHANBE -- The website of RFE/RL's Tajik Service appears to be blocked on the Internet in Tajikistan.

Asomuddin Atoev, the chairman of Tajikistan's Association of Internet Service Providers, told RFE/RL on November 30 that several leading service providers received SMS messages from Tajikistan's state-run Communications Service requesting the blockage.

Communications Service chief Beg Zuhurov declined to comment on the matter to RFE/RL, saying he was not aware of the situation.

On November 26, Tajikistan's Internet service providers blocked access to Facebook after a similar request by the Communications Service.

Zuhurov initially said then that access to Facebook was disrupted due to "technical problems," but later stated that Facebook was being blocked because of public complaints.