FEBRUARY 22, 2005
Posted: March 7, 2005
The Media Support Center
HARASSED
Authorities cut off electricity on February 22 to the country’s only independent printing house. The Media Support Center, funded and operated by the U.S.-based non-governmental organization Freedom House, prints the country’s major independent and opposition newspapers.
The action came in the run-up to the country’s contentious February 27 parliamentary elections.
The printing house accused the Kyrgyzstani government of obstructing its work. Authorities claim the organization lacked proper documents, the Moscow Times reported. The printing house was able to continue functioning in limited capacity using power generators supplied by the U.S. embassy, the Moscow-based news Web site Fergana.ru reported.