Muhamadjon Kabirov

Strengthening Independent Media in Exile to Fill the Information Gap in Authoritarian Countries

Mr. Muhamadjon Kabirov is a Tajik journalist and human rights defender currently serving as editor-in-chief of Azda.TV, a Tajik-language news network based in Poland that works to promote freedom of expression and democratic values. He is also president of the board of directors of the Foundation for Intercultural Integration, which assists refugees with resettlement in Poland. In 2014, he founded the NGO Eurasian Dialogue in Lithuania and launched the independent news channel Central Asian TV the same year. He has worked extensively to advocate on behalf of refugees, immigrants, and political prisoners in Tajikistan, Russia, and the European Union. He has also worked with the UN Human Rights Committee, the European Parliament, and the OSCE, to advance the rights of Tajik political prisoners. During his fellowship, Mr. Kabirov is conducting research on the operations of exiled media outlets based in the United States and beyond, with an eye to strengthening the efficacy and impact of exiled Tajik media. In addition, he is exploring independent alternatives to the state-controlled media that currently dominate Tajikistan’s media landscape.