AfterDawn: News

Tajikistan begins blocking access to news sites, Facebook

Following the publication of an article critical of the country's long-standing president, Tajikistan has blocked all access to two Russian-language news sites and the social networking giant Facebook.

ISPs in the nation say the shutdown was ordered by the state-run communications service. Any user who tries to access the sites will be met with a redirect to their homepage, or the homepage of their ISP.



"This morning, we carried out the instruction of the communications service and blocked the sites facebook.com, tjknews.com and zvezda.ru," said one ISP. "We could not refuse to carry out this instruction."

The news sites had published a story critical of President Emomali Rakhmon, who assumed power in 1992. It is well-known around the world that Rakhmon stole the 2006 election by fraud, and WikiLeaks brought to light that the president and his family have pillaged the country's coffers for years, including taking all profits from the state-run Tajik Aluminium Company (TALCO). The country is the poorest of the former Soviet states.

Tjknews.com had posted an article headlined 'Tajikistan on the eve of a revolution.'

Tajikistan has a population of 7.5 million, but only 40,000 Facebook users.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 4 Mar 2012 15:13

• Previous article

• 'Anonymous' DDoS software contained trojan

• Next article

• Kodak sells online business to Shutterfly

• 6 comments

• LordRuss

  "Censorship", oh yeah, that's the best way to get the public to rally on your side! Nothing turns the tide of "I suck harder" than sharting on the 'perfect date', right at that good night kiss more than to start censoring what the populace is trying to educate themselves to. Jerk-offs!
  
  If nothing else, follow the US' model & publicly lie to everyone... You know 'spin' everything into a maple sweet flavored rabbit turd. Most of the public will swallow it & not even taste it anyways.
  
  Now they'll get to it even easier & believe ANY propaganda that speaks negatively against him. Not that I would blame them anyway.
  

  http://onlyinrussellsworld.blogspot.com

  4.3.2012 15:51 #1

• megadunderhead

  except for one problem.
  
  isp redirection
  
  any person with a personal computer can still access Facebook just change your ip
  

  4.3.2012 16:59 #2

• Semperfipal

  Great, another despot state on the planet. I guess these types of government will always be around to subjugate the populace. When is the next rocket ship to Mars so I can be on it?

  4.3.2012 22:14 #3

• DXR88

  Originally posted by Semperfipal: Great, another despot state on the planet. I guess these types of government will always be around to subjugate the populace. When is the next rocket ship to Mars so I can be on it? why they'll just want to rule you there too.
  
  i never really understood the need to rule and the need to be subjugated, but we as humans have quite the history of both.
  

  Powered By
  
  

  5.3.2012 18:25 #4

• attar

  Iran is in the process of building a Mohammed approved Halal Intranet that will effectively cut-off the country from the Internet - it will make North Korea look like Shangri-La.
  

  5.3.2012 18:37 #5

• Blessedon

  Control of the internet, to be used by tyrants, will occur worldwide if ACTA is imposed. What we are doing right now will be impossible.
  
  See this article - pretty scary!
  

  6.3.2012 16:02 #6