When people become voiceless and powerless, it damages democracy and poisons politics. The press speaking out against abuses has been instrumental in giving people a voice and acted as a real constraint against unbridled power. However, journalists in Kyrgyzstan are facing increasing attacks on their liberties, with several journalists in the Central Asian country facing criminal charges. This information is published by Human Rights Watch. Here is an excerpt:

Kyrgyzstan authorities have stepped up the harassment of journalists and independent media with a slew of criminal investigations into their work in recent months, Human Rights Watch said today.

On March 29, 2022, following a motion by the Prosecutor General’s Office, a Bishkek district court found that a privately owned media outlet, Next TV, was “extremist” for reposting a commentary by a Ukrainian media outlet, Ukraine Now. The post implied that Kyrgyzstan would lend its military support to Russian forces in Ukraine. The court sent Next TV’s director, Taalaibek Duishenbiev, for pretrial detention on charges of inciting inter-ethnic hatred for reposting the commentary.

“The Kyrgyz authorities say they protect freedom of expression, yet try to silence critical voices and clamp down on independent media through criminal investigations and bogus charges,” said Syinat Sultanalieva, Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities should release Taalaibek Duishenbiev, and drop all unfounded charges against him and other media targets that violate the right to freedom of expression.”

Read the full article here.