DUSHANBE -- YouTube and a popular nongovernmental online news portal have been rendered inaccessible for clients of some Internet providers in Tajikistan on the eve of that country's presidential election.
A source close to the Tajik government told RFE/RL's Tajik Service on November 5 that the partial blockage of YouTube and the news portal Ozodagon had been ordered by the State Communications Service.
The service's officials were not available for immediate comment.
Six presidential candidates, including incumbent President Emomali Rahmon, have been officially registered for the November 6 poll.
Last month, the OSCE monitoring mission in Dushanbe criticized state-controlled media for focusing exclusively on Rahmon in their campaign coverage.
Also in October, Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized Tajik authorities for creating obstacles that prevented the united Tajik opposition's presidential candidate, Oinihol Bobonazarova, from successfully registering for the vote.
A source close to the Tajik government told RFE/RL's Tajik Service on November 5 that the partial blockage of YouTube and the news portal Ozodagon had been ordered by the State Communications Service.
The service's officials were not available for immediate comment.
Six presidential candidates, including incumbent President Emomali Rahmon, have been officially registered for the November 6 poll.
Last month, the OSCE monitoring mission in Dushanbe criticized state-controlled media for focusing exclusively on Rahmon in their campaign coverage.
Also in October, Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized Tajik authorities for creating obstacles that prevented the united Tajik opposition's presidential candidate, Oinihol Bobonazarova, from successfully registering for the vote.
