Eltuz, which accused the chairman of the Mass Media Foundation, Komil Allamjonov, of illegally importing $4.2 million worth of jewelry into Uzbekistan, renounced its claims and apologized to Allamjonov. The publication said it is ready to pay a fine that could be imposed by a court under German law.
In February, Eltuz and based on it, Uzmetronom published articles alleging that Komil Allamjonov, Chairman of the Mass Media Foundation, had been involved in the duty-free import of $4.2 million worth of gold and diamonds.
Neither the material provided evidence to substantiate the allegations, nor the other party’s position was revealed. Allamjonov called the allegations “slanderous” and appealed to law enforcement agencies.
On June 21, Eltuz reported that the allegations in the article had been removed from all pages on its website and networks “on the grounds that they were not fully substantiated”. The editors have also officially notified the publishers of the reprint, including Uzmetronom, and Reporters Without Borders, which linked to it on Twitter.
The publication stated in an article that “they had no intention to discredit or slander anyone in any way”.
“The editors apologize to Komil Allamjonov for the damage to his reputation and wish him success in his efforts to ensure freedom of speech in Uzbekistan. We are ready to pay a fine that can be imposed by a court under German law,” the statement said.
Earlier, on June 19, the Uzmetronom website also reported that it had deleted two relevant posts, citing Eltuz.
According to the report, a criminal case has been opened against Sergey Yejkov, the publication’s editor-in-chief, for libel. Case details are not known.
Following the reports, Komil Allamjonov said that his lawyers and attorneys had taken the matter seriously and had taken a number of legal measures in the past.
“The Eltuz editorial office has now been handed over to German human rights organizations for a legal assessment under German law. The Uzmetronom website has been handed over to law enforcement agencies in Uzbekistan,” the head of the Mass Media Foundation said.
“Freedom of speech does not mean that everyone can say whatever they want: if there is a claim about a person, it must be based on convincing evidence. Slander, insult is not accepted in any state, in any society. Responsibility for this is established, including in the legislation of Uzbekistan.
Currently, the case of Uzmetronom website has been brought to court. The judiciary is the supreme judge, they must assess the matter and take legal action,” he said.
Komil Allamjonov called on the media to obey the law, promoting freedom of speech, and to thoroughly investigate any information before publishing it.
“I think my case will be an example for everyone. I repeat, freedom of speech does not mean that you can circulate unsubstantiated information, it has its rules and its own ethics,” Allamjonov said.
