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We closed websites just for technical reasons, says communications ministerFrom Asia-Plus media group/Tajikistan by Nazarali Pirnazarov: DUSHANBE, October 16, Tajik Minister of Communications Said Zuvaydov told a news conference in Dushanbe today that access to five websites was not available last week for technical reasons. According to him, the ministry did not block the websites. “The websites were closed for testing new technology currently being introduced by the ministry in the country,” said Saidov, “After the new technology was tested access to the websites was restored within several days.” The minister added that because of the testing procedure some other websites may be suspended as well. Zuvaydov, however, noted that there are sites that release unfounded information. “In order to avoid this we will close them for some hours to find out circumstances,” the minister said. However, he did not explain what does he mean. As it had been reported earlier, State Communication Inspectorate (SCI) of the Ministry of Communications in early October asked local Internet providers to block a number of websites. The SCI noted that reports released by those websites have an anti-state character, propagating racial and ethnic enmity. The considered it necessary to filter a number of websites and block access to the them. Among them are www.centrasia.ru; www.ferghana.ru; www.TajikistanTimes.ru; www.charogiruz.ru and www.arianastorm.com. Later, access to these websites was restored. web site link: http://www.asiaplus.tj/en/news/41/11630.html The earlier article from Asia-Plus: “Access denied” by P.Khamidova and N. Khamrabaeva emphasized that time chosen to block the web sites was preceding the presidential elections in Tajikistan, thus this decision found a broad resonance in media. Answering the question about the time chosen for closure of the web sites vice-director of Agency for media management of the Ministry of Communication of Tajikistan, Khurshid Radjabmahmadov, stated, that in the latest time these web sites started to carry the information of propaganda that damage the state policies. While unblocking the web sites the official from the Agency referred to a number of complains received by the Ministry from representatives of International and local NGOs.