Tajikistan shuts down Facebook

Tajik authorities have blocked access to several web sites, including, among others, news web sites critical to the president Emomali Rakhmon and the popular social network Facebook, Tajik news agency Asia Plus reported on Saturday. According to the Asia Plus, Tajik Internet providers received both letters and verbal notices from the country’s Telecommunications Authority to shut down several web sites “over the emerged necessity.” The Internet providers have different lists of the banned web sites, but all of them include Facebook.com, Zvezda.ru, Tjknews.com and Maxala.org, the agency said. Zvezda.ru, an analytical web site on politics, was shut down on Friday evening, soon after publishing an article titled “Tajikistan ahead of Revolution” that analyzes Rakhmon’s growing autocratic moves that according to the author of the article will bring the country to the mass unrest. Facebook, which is used by protesters in Arab countries and in Russia to coordinate public rallies, was also blocked. Tajik communication regulator is not available for comments.