Komil Allamjonov, the head of the Agency of Information and Mass Communications (AIMC) under the Presidential Administration in a statement on his Facebook page called the working methods of the Uzbek service of Radio Liberty, Ozodlik, contrary to generally accepted standards of journalistic ethics.
“Ozodlik’s one-sided and biased editorial policy, which is largely focused on the publication of tendentious and often unreliable stories, causes questions, which ultimately misleads the public and the global audience in general. At the same time, deliberate politicization of social and domestic issues, facts of fraudulent information gathering, falsification of audio recordings are at least unexpected, ” the statement said.
“In the course of talks with the leadership of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Tashkent in September 2018, the Uzbek side called for mutually beneficial cooperation and suggested a format of joint work involving assistance to Ozodlik journalists in obtaining information, establishing working contacts with the authorities. Unfortunately, until today we haven't received any response from them,” the statement added.
AIMC urged foreign and domestic media outlets to "follow the journalistic" code of honor and "avoid the dissemination of unfounded rumors and fake news."
Komil Allamjonov added that the agency is open and ready to cooperate as part of the ongoing reforms of the media sphere, “including ensuring the protection of the rights of media workers, enhancing their skills, developing citizen journalism, raising the openness of the authorities.”
Earlier, full access to a number of previously banned sites, including BBC Uzbek, Amnesty, HRW and Fergana, was restored in Uzbekistan. The head of AIMC called the "technical problems" as the reason for their blocking, while Ozodlik still remains inaccessible.
