Tajik government blocks websites ahead of election

DUSHANBE The government of the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan has blocked websites criticising it ahead of the February parliamentary election, telecommunications industry sources said on Monday.

President Imomali Rakhmon's People's Democratic party is expected to win the Feb. 28 vote.

The government has a record of stifling dissent by shutting down all critical media, citing tax issues and other irregularities. The West has never judged elections in the poverty-stricken mainly Muslim country to be free or fair.

"Following the government's order, access to certain (Web) resources ... has been blocked," said a source at an Internet service provider.

A source at another provider confirmed the government was behind the move.

Among blocked websites were centrasia.ru, which publishes regional news and hosts a popular political discussion board, and ariana.su, which focuses on Rakhmon and his family.

Rakhmon wields sweeping powers and mainstream media never criticise him. On Feb. 28, his party will compete with a fragmented opposition for 63 seats in the lower house.

Internet censorship is common in authoritarian states in ex-Soviet Central Asia where governments see growing Internet penetration as a threat to their tight grip on power.

(Reporting by Roman Kozhevnikov; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Andrew Dobbie)