OSCE Urges Tajikistan To Restore Internet Access

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe says the blockage of websites in Tajiksitan is "reprehensive" and undermines basic human rights.

In a statement issued on October 7, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic called on the Tajik authorities to ensure unrestricted Internet access.

"The repeated blocking of websites in Tajikistan over the past few months is a worrying and disturbing trend. These kinds of reprehensive actions are detrimental to the basic human right to receive and impart information, and to media freedom," Mijatovic said.

Hundreds of websites, including Facebook, YouTube, and popular Russian social networks, have been inaccessible across Tajikistan since October 5.

Much of northern Tajikistan is entirely cut off from the Internet.

Access was blocked after the opposition movement Group 24 used social networks to call for an antigovernment protest in Dushanbe, the capital, on October 10.

Tajik authorities deny they are behind the blockage.