In Kyrgyzstan, 11 journalists were detained after searches

In Kyrgyzstan, eleven former and active journalists of investigative projects “Ait Ait Dese” and Temirov Live were detained after searches, Sibir.Realii reports.

All those detained, including the head of Temirov Live, Mahabat Tazhibek kyzy, were charged with “calling for active disobedience to the legal requirements of the authorities and mass riots.” According to the relevant article of the Criminal Code, journalists face up to eight years in prison.

The criminal case itself was initiated due to the fact that on December 30, police officers allegedly found information calling for protests on the pages of investigative projects.

Sibir.Realii notes that in 2023, Kyrgyzstan immediately lost 50 positions in the World Press Freedom Index, falling from 72nd to 122nd place, due to repression of journalists and numerous cases of government pressure on the media.

• The day before, employees of the State Committee for National Security (GKNS) of Kyrgyzstan conducted a search in the editorial office of the news agency 24.kg – one of the first online publications in the country. The agency’s general director Asel Otorbaeva, chief editor Anton Lymar and chief editor Makhinur Niyazova were taken for questioning. They were released in the evening. It is known that journalists are witnesses in the criminal case of “war propaganda”. The reason for the case was a publication about the war in Ukraine on the 24.kg site.
• In September 2023, it became known that access to the 24.kg website was blocked in Russia. The reason was four news digests, which talked about the war in Ukraine – in particular, about Russian shelling, civilian casualties, anti-Russian sanctions and mobilization.