Nuriddin Karshiboev

Nuriddin Karshiboev has written more than 600 articles and reports in a 30-year career. He likes to say he fell into journalism at a very young age. While still at school he wrote articles in newspapers for children. However, grander ambitions have brought him fame these days. He heads the Tajik National Association of Independent Media (NANSMIT), which he co-founded in 1999. He works tirelessly to defend colleagues who are under pressure, to promote the highest ethical and democratic standards and to fight for changes in Tajik law to improve freedom of information. In a country traumatized by civil war and having to face the authoritarian tendencies of an unshakable government, NAMSIT has been the sword and shield of independent journalism and an incubator for a democratic and pluralistic media culture. The association records violations of press freedom, organizes roundtables and training sessions, and manages three legal support centres across the country.