KHUJAND, May 28, 201, Asia-Plus -- The Khujand city court has ordered local municipal department for environmental protection to provide the findings of the ecological examination of the Khujand distillery to the student from the Khujand-based University of Law, Business and Politics, Abduaziz Ibrohimov.

On October 21, 2010, Abduaziz Ibrohimov applied to the Khujand department for environmental protection, asking for the findings of the ecological examination of local distillery (the enterprise’s emissions into atmosphere).  The department for environmental protection, however, refused to provide that information, noting that Ibrohimov did not state in his application what he need that information for.

After repeated unsuccessful applications, the student has decided to uphold his constitutional right of access to information through court.

Ismoil Rahmatov, a judge with the Khujand court, noted that under Article 10 of Tajikistan’s Constitution, international legal acts recognized by Tajikistan are a constituent part of the legal system of the country.  Tajikistan joined the Aaurhus Convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters in 2001 and under Article 4 of the Convention, each party should make environmental information available without an interest having to be state, the judge noted.

“Besides, the Khujand department for environmental protection has violated the right of citizen to get information as well as the country’s law on applications from citizens,” Rahmatov added.