Asia-Plus

Asia-Plus news agency was established in 1995 and started its activity in English and in Russian in 1996.^[1] It is privately owned^[2] and the owner is the Asia Plus Media Group.^[1] The agency is based in Dushanbe^[3] and started a weekly paper, Asia Plus in 2000.^[4] It also publishes Tajikistan Economic Review, a monthly, and Asia-Plus Blitz, a newsletter published in weekdays.^[5] It has an independent political leaning.^[6] It has received funds from the National Endowment for Democracy.^[7]

In June 2012, the website of the agency was cut allegedly by the Tajik authorities.^[2] A month later the authorities again banned the website in addition to those of Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency and BBC's website in Russian.^[8]