Usually when I talk about Tajikistan blogs at neweurasia I prefer naming/categorizing them as Tajik-Tajik blog, which means a blog about Tajikistan in Tajik language, or Tajik-English blog (this one), or Tajik-Russian. The same way of categorizing can be applied to all media outlets in Tajikistan. At first glance you can not notice a difference between the Tajik-Russian or Tajik-Tajik media - except the language. But if you come closer you can notice a very important detail: the Tajik-Russian media can be more critical towards the government than the Tajik-Tajik media.

Recently a popular radio station Imruz (Today) - which broadcasted in Tajik - was shut down. No one knows the real reason for that but experts claim that it stopped working because of its critical content. RFE/RL has a good piece on that.

Unlike many other local radio stations, Imruz did not avoid criticizing the country’s political scene. All politicians, including opposition leaders and critics of the government, have had access to the station. One of its recent guests was Rahmatullo Zoirov, the leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party and an outspoken critic of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.

This is not unusual that critical media outlets fall under pressure, but it showed us that the Tajik-Tajik media outlets are more vulnerable because they could be more influential. Despite the fact that Tajiks have been under the influence of Russian language for many decades, people get to know this language less and less, especially in the regions.

In the interview for RFE/RL an independent journalist Rajabi Mirzo makes clear the importance of Tajik-Tajik media.

Tajik-language media have much more influence and impact in Tajikistan and therefore they could become more dangerous [for the government],” Mirzo says. “Radio Imruz was the first local FM station to broadcast its programs entirely in the Tajik language. It focused on subjects that so far have only been covered by Russian-language radios. So it wasn’t acceptable for many people [in the government].”