Depredador(a)

Emomali RAKHMON

Presidente de la República de Tayikistán desde 1992

Depredador desde que llegó al poder

Tayikistán, 162°/180 en la Clasificación Mundial de la Libertad de Prensa 2021

Dear [Name of Candidate],

I am writing to ask you what you plan to do to defend the First Amendment, freedom of the press, and the fundamental rights of journalists to practice their profession freely in what has become an increasingly hostile environment for information and news providers.

The United States, which enshrines press freedom in the First Amendment of its Constitution, is currently witnessing a drastic decline in media freedom. On June 28, one of the most horrific attacks on press freedom in the United States occurred when five employees, including four reporters, were killed at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. According to the US Press Freedom Tracker, which comprehensively documents press freedom violations in the US committed by national, state, and local authorities as well as private individuals, 33 journalists were arrested, 43 were physically attacked, and 15 seizures of journalists’ equipment occurred in 2017. In one of these incidents, Rep. Greg Gianforte physically assaulted a Guardian journalist the night before his state’s election. While covering the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, journalists were impersonated on social media, impeding their ability to accurately investigate the facts and disseminate information which could be vital to preventing a similar tragedy. This hostility towards the press not only risks compromising the American public’s right to be informed through journalists’ reporting, but can also degrade the public’s trust in the media itself.

This is not a partisan issue; it is a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics. Journalism is at the crux of our democracy, and communities everywhere rely on journalists to provide them with information that is essential to their daily decision-making processes. It was local investigative journalist Curt Guyette who broke the story about Flint, Michigan’s lack of access to clean water in 2014, prompting years of class-action lawsuits, protests, and subsequent federal assistance to the city in order to try to resolve the crisis. Reporters Megan Twohey, Jodi Kantor, and Ronan Farrow publicized sexual assault allegations against influential Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017, leading to the ubiquitous and powerful #MeToo movement which brought decades of sexual abuse and harassment across multiple industries to light.

Yet freedom of the press in the US is currently in dire need of congressional support. It is our civic duty as one of the world’s leading democracies to uphold principles that support and protect the rights of journalists so that they may hold those in power accountable and ensure an informed and engaged community.

If you are elected, what do you plan to do to protect this utterly essential component of our democracy? What are your plans to protect the public’s right to be informed through a free and independent press?

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Hello, my name is _______ and I am from [city, state].

I’m calling to let you know that [candidate/representative]'s stance on freedom of the press is extremely important in my decision to vote. I feel that this is not a partisan issue, but a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics.

I have become increasingly concerned with the growing climate of hostility for journalists in this country, and I would like for [candidate/representative] to publicly address what they will do to defend press freedom if [he/she] is elected.

Thank you.

Freedom of the press is suffering in the US. @[yourcandidate] if you are elected to serve in Congress, what are your plans to protect journalists and our right to be informed? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

Democracy depends on a free and independent press and its ability to hold those in power accountable. [@yourcandidate] will you take measures to protect journalism and the First Amendment? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

In June, four reporters were murdered in an appalling targeted attack on the Capital Gazette and freedom of the press. [@yourcandidate] what will you do to address the growing threat to journalists in this country? #DefendPressFreedom

Press freedom is in steady decline in the US. I want my representative to defend the work of journalists as well as my right to be informed. [@yourcandidate] if you are elected what will you do to protect a free press? #DefendPressFreedom

Journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. And yet in the US, attacks on journalists are becoming more common, undermining the media's role and creating opportunities for government overreach, the erosion of press freedom, and impeding our right to be informed. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join me at DefendPressFreedom.com

A free press is essential to our democracy. Communities everywhere rely on journalists to report on our government’s actions and hold public figures accountable, providing us with the information we need to make decisions every day. And yet physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists in the US are increasing at an astonishing rate. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. You should too. Read more at DefendPressFreedom.com

Press freedom is declining in the US at an alarming rate. Physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists have increased drastically in the last two years. As the US midterm elections approach, we must remind our congressional candidates that journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. I’m contacting my representatives and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join in and help me spread the word at DefendPressFreedom.com

MÉTODO DE DEPREDACIÓN: censura, control total de internet y amenazas

La deriva represiva de Emomali Rakhmon, uno de los presidentes más antiguos de la región, no hace más que empeorar. El mandatario se presenta como el "líder de la nación" y el "fundador de la paz y la unidad nacional" desde que terminó la guerra civil, en la década de 1990. En 1992, estableció una censura oficial y sistemática de los contenidos que difundían los medios privados e independientes. El Comité de Televisión y Radiodifusión de Tayikistán, un organismo estatal, ha impuesto este 2021 nuevas condiciones para los contratos de licencia de emisión. Dichas condiciones afectan en especial a las redacciones, que están obligadas a someter a validación previa todas sus producciones editoriales en idiomas extranjeros, incluyendo el ruso. En 2018, las autoridades asumieron el monopolio del acceso a la red nacional de internet, lo que permitió a la agencia gubernamental de telecomunicaciones bloquear de forma ilegal las webs de noticias. El proveedor de acceso nacional Tajiktelecom, que pertenece al departamento de comunicaciones del gobierno tayiko, posee el monopolio de la venta del acceso a internet. Las autoridades han creado “fábricas de trolls” destinadas a desacreditar a todas las voces críticas y a ciertos medios, como Radio Ozodi, el servicio tayiko de Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE / RL). Acosados por los servicios secretos, intimidados y sometidos a chantajes, decenas de periodistas han optado por el camino del exilio en los últimos años. Otros se autocensuran y evitan tratar temas delicados, lo que favorece la impunidad y la corrupción en el país.

OBJETIVOS PREDILECTOS: las voces independientes

Para Emomali Rakhmon, todos los medios independientes son un objetivo. Y, por supuesto, los periodistas de investigación cuando realizan investigaciones sobre la corrupción que azota al país. En 2018, el experiodista Khairoullo Mirsaidov fue encarcelado tras acusar a altos funcionarios de malversación de fondos. Rakhmon también rastrea a los medios extranjeros como RFE / RL, así como las informaciones que circulan en redes sociales y mensajerías instantáneas: Facebook, YouTube, VKontakte, Odnoklassniki o WhatsApp, y Telegram.

DISCURSO OFICIAL: la nación contra el extranjero

“Hay que ser más activos y estar unidos en la guerra de información contra los medios de oposición. ¡Y publicad con vuestro nombre auténtico en las redes sociales! De esa forma, nuestros rivales no os acusarán de ser trolls". (Palabras dirigidas a los principales medios de comunicación nacionales por Abdujabbor Rahmonzoda, asistente del presidente Rakhmon, durante una mesa redonda con periodistas e intelectuales en la sede del periódico estatal Jumhuriyat, 3 de marzo de 2021)

"Los directivos de los medios de comunicación deben ser un escudo confiable para los intereses nacionales, los valores culturales e históricos, y los logros que están ocurriendo en este período de independencia nacional". (Comentarios realizados durante una reunión entre el presidente Rakhmon y los jefes de las principales radios y televisiones de Tayikistán, el 20 de febrero de 2019).