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Tajikistan Blocks Websites

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan — Authorities blocked local access to Facebook and two Russian-language sites that published an article critical of its long-serving president, two Internet providers said.

The shutdown was ordered by the state-run communications service, the providers said, requesting anonymity.

Users who tried to access Facebook or the two websites, which published a story critical of President Emomali Rakhmon, were automatically redirected to the home page of their provider.

"This morning, we carried out the instruction of the communications service and blocked the sites Facebook.com, Tjknews.com and Zvezda.ru," said one of the providers. "We could not refuse to carry out this instruction."

(Reuters)

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