Kyrgyzstan freezes Radio Azattyk bank account under money laundering laws
Stockholm, November 4, 2022—Kyrgyz authorities should immediately restore access to the bank account and website of Radio Azattyk, U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s local service, and cease all attempts to obstruct the outlet’s work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Monday, October 31, staff at the local offices of Turkey-based DemirBank…
Journalist Baktursun Jorobekov beaten unconscious in Kyrgyzstan
Stockholm, November 2, 2022 – Kyrgyz authorities should fully and swiftly investigate a recent attack on journalist Baktursun Jorobekov and hold the perpetrators to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On the evening of Wednesday, October 26, four unidentified men severely beat Jorobekov, a correspondent with the independent broadcaster Super TV, near his…
CPJ: Kyrgyzstan’s block of RFE/RL website ‘a flagrant act of censorship’
Stockholm, October 27, 2022 – Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports, and Youth Policy on Wednesday announced a two-month block of the website of Radio Azattyk, the local service of U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, under the country’s false information law after the outlet refused to remove a video report on recent border…
‘He should never have been on trial’: CPJ on acquittal of Kyrgyzstan investigative reporter Bolot Temirov
New York, September 28, 2022 – In response to news reports that a court in Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday acquitted investigative reporter Bolot Temirov on charges of drug possession and illegally crossing the state border, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “We are relieved by today’s acquittal of Bolot Temirov, but he should…
Kyrgyzstan TV director Taalaibek Duishenbiev convicted of incitement
New York, September 21, 2022 – On Wednesday, a court in Kyrgyzstan convicted Next TV director Taalaibek Duishenbiev of inciting interethnic hatred over posts on the broadcaster’s social media accounts covering Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to news reports. Duishenbiev, who was detained for seven months pending trial, was originally handed a five-year prison sentence, his lawyer,…
Kyrgyz authorities block news website Res Publica under controversial false news law
Stockholm, August 8, 2022 – Kyrgyzstan authorities should immediately restore access to independent news website Res Publica and repeal a recently enacted false information law that severely threatens press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On July 21, Res Publica editor-in-chief Zamira Sydykova announced on the outlet’s website and on her Facebook page…
Kyrgyzstan authorities file new charges against journalist Bolot Temirov
New York, April 21, 2022 – Kyrgyzstan authorities should drop all the charges against journalist Bolot Temirov and allow him to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Tuesday, April 19, police investigators in Bishkek, the capital, summoned Temirov and charged him with allegedly forging documents and illegally crossing the country’s border,…
Kyrgyzstan authorities raid broadcaster Next TV, detain director over Ukraine war posts
Stockholm, March 7, 2022 – Kyrgyzstan authorities should immediately release Next TV director Taalaibek Duishenbiev, drop their investigation into the outlet, and allow it to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On the afternoon of Thursday, March 3, the privately owned TV and radio broadcaster Next TV’s accounts on Facebook and Telegram…
Kyrgyzstan authorities investigate Kaktus.media for alleged ‘war propaganda’
Stockholm, February 2, 2022 – Kyrgyzstan authorities should drop their criminal investigation into independent news website Kaktus.media and allow all media outlets to operate freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Tuesday, the prosecutor general’s office announced a criminal investigation into Kaktus.media over its publication of an article, originally published by a Tajik…
Kyrgyzstan journalist Bolot Temirov says police planted drugs on him during raid
Stockholm, January 24, 2022 – Kyrgyzstan authorities should immediately and credibly investigate claims that police planted drugs on journalist Bolot Temirov and ensure that employees at his news outlet can work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. At about 7:30 p.m. on January 22, more than a dozen masked narcotics police officers raided…