DUSHANBE, June 14, 2012, Asia-Plus -- The authorities have lifted restrictions on Internet access to Tajikistan’s leading independent news agency Asia-Plus.

The state communications agency lifted the order blocking access to news website www.news.tj Thursday afternoon and local Internet providers received an official letter on this subject from the Communications Service under the Government of Tajikistan.

We will recall that access to the Asia-Plus website was blocked for more than two days.

On Tuesday June 12, the Communications Service ordered local Internet providers to block access to Asia-Plus website.  The state communications agency ordered them to block the website “because of a technical problem.”

Meanwhile, the Communications Service head Beg Zuhurov told Asia-Plus Tuesday afternoon that access to the Asia-Plus website was blocked after it published some readers’ comments that were seen by officials as being critical of authorities.

According to Zuhurov, the comments contained “defamation and insult against the country’s high-ranking state officials.”

The Asia-Plus decided to remove one of the comments, which according to Beg Zuhurov was in contrary to the country’s legislation.  Beg Zuhurov, for his part, promised to lift the order blocking access to the Asia-Plus in the near future.

We will recall that earlier this year, Tajik officials blocked access to Facebook and several independent news agencies, citing “technical reasons.”