The news agency “Asia-Plus” reported threats made against its journalists. On October 11, 2024, the deputy director of Lyceum No. 5 in Dushanbe, Faizali Sadikov, came to the agency’s office and made threats. According to the agency, Faizali Sadikov led a group of about 20 parents of students and teachers. They arrived at the “Asia-Plus” […]
The news agency “Asia-Plus” reported threats made against its journalists.
On October 11, 2024, the deputy director of Lyceum No. 5 in Dushanbe, Faizali Sadikov, came to the agency’s office and made threats.
According to the agency, Faizali Sadikov led a group of about 20 parents of students and teachers. They arrived at the “Asia-Plus” office and demanded that the published material about the lyceum be removed. When their request was denied, they resorted to threats.
“Then the deputy director began to insult the journalists and threatened an editorial staff member: ‘Be careful on the streets in the evening!’ Threats of physical violence were directed at him and other employees of ‘Asia-Plus’,” the report states.
Previously, “Asia-Plus” reported that the director of Lyceum No. 5, where the child of Dushanbe resident Jamshid Aminov studies, demanded payment for additional classes that his daughter did not attend. Aminov refused to pay, as the collection of money is based on a contract between parents and the school, which he did not sign. On June 6 of this year, Jamshid Aminov filed a complaint against the director of Lyceum No. 5 with the Ismoili Somoni district prosecutor’s office.
This particular material from the “Asia-Plus” agency displeased the deputy director of the lyceum.
In the current conditions of Tajikistan, threats against journalists, bloggers, and activists who may expose cases of government officials and law enforcement agencies oppressing residents and violating their rights, or publish pressing issues faced by residents, have become very widespread.
Although the authorities of Tajikistan have repeatedly stated that collecting money from students in any form is illegal, due to low salaries, the management of educational institutions resorts to trickery. In many schools, money is collected from students under the pretext of school repairs, purchasing curtains, heating equipment, and so-called additional classes. This causes dissatisfaction among parents, but they usually do not complain to the relevant authorities, as their children may not be accepted into school the following year after a complaint.