Several sources close to law enforcement in Tajikistan told RFE/RL over the weekend that police in the Central Asian nation’s southern city of Kulob had arrested noted journalist Ahmad Ibrohim on bribe-related charges, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported.
According to the sources, the 62-year-old editor-in-chief of the Paik (Message) independent newspaper was arrested on August 12 after he allegedly offered a bribe to an official in exchange for re-registration of his media outlet.
Tajik officials are yet to announce the arrest.
In recent years, several Tajik journalists, rights activists, and opposition politicians have been handed lengthy prison terms on charges seen by rights groups as trumped-up and politically motivated.
