Due to constant threats and pressure from the State Committee of National Security of Tajikistan, journalist Gulnora Ravshan, who has worked the last six years for the Uzbek service of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty” (Ozodlik) from Dushanbe, had to leave Tajikistan together with her four minor children. Now the journalist is seeking a political asylum in a European country.

It has been almost a year since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan refused to grant accreditation to journalist Gulnora Ravshan, which was necessary to continue her professional activity for radio Ozodlik.

Our editors learned that the radio’s management has appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan to clarify the reason for the refusal to give a permit to journalist. But so far there have not been any comments from the officials of the agency on the radio’s appeal.

For this reason, Gulnora Ravshan had no other choice but to suspend her work for the radio Ozodlik.

Meanwhile, according to the journalist, many local media in Tajikistan refused to cooperate with her fearing the retaliation of the Tajik authorities.

“I meet with the management of Uzbek-language newspapers and websites in Tajikistan regarding employment. However, they said they did not want to have problems with the Tajik authorities and, therefore, refused to hire me,” said Gulnora Ravshan to “Jarayon”.

The journalist could not get a job for nearly a year, and was left without money for a living and supporting her four minor children, whom she brings up alone.

As Gulnora Ravshan says, she was very depressed due to this. She lost her job, was seriously frightened. Living in Tajikistan, every single minute she feared for her life and the lives of her children. The reason for this was the continuous pressure and harassment from representatives of Tajik special services.

Several times the journalist was summoned to the State Committee of National Security of Tajikistan for “prophylactic conversations”. According to the journalist, each time the special service did not present any official summon to her, thus leaving no evidences of meetings.

Moreover, she received calls with various threats to the home and mobile phones. Unknown people sent her SMS messages that read that she would be “technically killed”. Law enforcement officials started coming to her house using different pretexts. They insulted and threatened the journalist.

“On October 18, 2012 at 10 am, intelligence officer named Saidali Kosimov came to my house without any warnings, and said: “Do not forget where you live, we have given a lot of freedom for Uzbeks in the country, you have all the conditions, and business, and lands, and everything else…” I could not remain silent on his inappropriate statement, and replied: “If Uzbeks have everything, maybe because they are working hard?

They gained everything they have not that easily. And anyway, what does this have to do with my work?” To which intelligence officer responded: “Wasn’t it you, who recently publicized discontent among Tajikistani Uzbeks from the actions of the people in the government? On the other hand, what is the reason for your close ties with the Uzbek Embassy in Dushanbe?”

Then I realized that they have the information on each of my visit to the Uzbek Embassy. Although, I cooperated with the embassy as a journalist when covering border related problems and visa issues between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan,” says Gulnora Ravshan.

Here it must be noted that Gulnora Ravshan is ethnic Uzbek born in Tajikistan.

According to the journalist, in mid-November last year, she was summoned to the National Security Committee of Tajikistan, and questioned for two hours by the officer named Hozhi Sobir.

“Sister, before writing something a person needs to think about everything. You eat the bread and salt of Tajikistan, but while receiving money from abroad, you are becoming very disrespectful. Have you forgotten where you live? There are many people, who can testify against you. Law is one for all.

Every citizen is responsible before the law for their mistakes, and you are not an exception. Do not panic and write in two pages about who ordered the articles to you and why they asked you to write on these topics. This is all. I am asking you only about thing, nothing else” said the security officer to me,” says Gulnora Ravshan.

When accompanying her to the exit, Hozhi Sobir added:

“You better not complain everywhere about our conversation. Man is such a creation, who accidentally call fall, or may be unexpectedly hit by a car, and your kids go to school. If I’m not mistaken, there are four of them…”

Correspondent of “Jarayon” tried to contact Nozirzhon Buriev, head of the public relations center of the State Committee of National Security (SCNS) of Tajikistan. But Buriev did not respond to numerous calls.

It is worth noting that for the past seven years, Gulnora Ravshan bravely reported on the most vital economic, social, cultural and political problems in Tajik society, in particular, she wrote about the problems of ethnic minorities and violation of religious freedoms. In her reports, Gulnora Ravshan also raised hot issues between two neighboring republics – Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Despite the fact that she has four minor children and her life could be in danger, in 2009-2010 she went to the east of Tajikistan to cover the bloody events that occurred in the Rasht Valley. Her interesting and important materials from the site were broadcast by radio Ozodlik, the Uzbek Service of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

At the moment, Gulnora Ravshan is the only Uzbek-language journalist, who agreed and was not afraid to write about the human rights problems in Tajikistan, despite the fact that many journalists, who cover these topics, are persecuted and harassed by the country’s law enforcement agencies.

When the government of Tajikistan made statements to the international community that detainees are well treated in prisons and detention facilities of the country, Gulnora Ravshan, being persecuted by Tajik security forces, was not afraid to meet with former prisoners, living witness of torture behind the bars, and prepared material on torture in prisons in the country, putting her life at real risk.

The international human rights organization “Fiery Hearts Club” has been providing its assistance to journalist Gulnora Ravshan for the past several months. Mutabar Tadjibayeva, head of the organization, believes that journalist’s life is at serious risk, and therefore she had to leave the country immediately.

“Gulnora is a courageous journalist. Therefore, security services tried to suppress her voice with the persecution and pressure. Her courage is also reflected in the fact that, despite the obstacles and harassment of special services, and being within the country, she continued her journalistic activities. All this time she has been informing the public about the facts of torture, and existing problems in the field of human rights in Tajikistan.

However, unfortunately, Tajik society has lost another voice of freedom. Although, I’m sure that journalist Gulnora Ravshan will be able to continue her professional work in a safer place”, said the human rights activist Tadjibayeva.

Several months ago, Gulnora Ravshan and her four children had to leave Tajikistan. They asked for political asylum in one of the European countries. However, despite the fact that she is outside the country of her origin, Ravshan does not hide her fear that of Tajik special services’ possible avenge.

“Today, speaking about my situation to public, I am still in fear, because I have many relatives in Tajikistan. Obviously, the special services will try to pressure on me through them,” said Gulnora Ravshan in conclusion of the conversation with journalist of “Jarayon”.