The Central Asian country of Tajikistan plans to fine journalists for using words that are “incomprehensible” to readers, a government official confirmed.

The state has recently taken issue with the growing influence of Farsi and Dari on its official language Tajik, reports Agence France-Presse. In addition, Russian is widely spoken in the former Soviet republic and was removed back in 2009 as a state language, a move intended to boost patriotism, according to AFP.

The fines for individuals will vary from $75 to $100, but state officials and organizations are expected to pay up to $200. However, it remains unknown when the new regulations will come into effect.

“There are cases when journalists use as many as 10 words in one day that the simple reader, viewer or listener cannot comprehend,” said Gavhar Sharifzoda, the head of state language committee. “This grossly violates the norms of state language.”

Tajikistan has been ruled by President Emomali Rahmon since 1992. Similar regulations exist in other post-Soviet states intended to minimize the influence of Russian.

[AFP]

Get The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Now Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.

Contact us at letters@time.com.