Silencing the Truth: Kyrgyzstan’s Assault on Press Freedom

Kyrgyzstan: Effort to Shut Down Independent News Outlet

Lawsuit Seeks To Punish ‘Sharp Criticism of Government’

The Kyrgyz authorities have filed a lawsuit to close down the Kloop Media Public Foundation, a nonprofit organization that runs an independent online news outlet in Kyrgyzstan. This move is part of an alarming trend against freedom of expression in the country. The lawsuit, which accuses Kloop Media of failing to register as a mass media outlet and conducting media activity not listed in its charter, references a pretrial investigation into the foundation’s activities by the Kyrgyz State Committee for National Security. This investigation was initiated on suspicion that Kloop Media publications had violated Kyrgyzstan’s criminal code by making public calls for the violent seizure of power online.

Freedom of Media and Expression Under Threat

This lawsuit is the latest in a series of attacks on freedom of media and expression in Kyrgyzstan. These attacks are not only incompatible with the country’s international human rights obligations but also contradict its status as a member of the UN Human Rights Council. The Kyrgyz authorities must immediately withdraw the lawsuit and stop harassing independent media in the country.

Kloop Media’s Independent Reporting

Kloop Media is well-known for its independent reporting on national and regional affairs. The organization has collaborated on anti-corruption investigations with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Kyrgyz Service and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a global investigative journalism network.

Accusations of “Sharp Criticism of Government”

The lawsuit against Kloop Media accuses the organization of engaging in “sharp criticism of the government” and lists a number of articles that it categorizes as critical of the Kyrgyz government’s policies and state and municipal bodies. The lawsuit argues that Kloop’s publications use “hidden manipulation” leading to “dissatisfaction” and “distrust” of the authorities among its readership. The lawsuit also highlights Kloop’s coverage of the conflict in the Batken region, which had seen border conflicts between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. It alleges that Kloop’s articles about the region are responsible for the continued flow of internal and external migration away from the region, which supposedly aligns with Tajikistan’s strategic goals.

Legal Defense and Support from the Independent Media Community

Kloop Media’s lawyer, Fatima Yakupbaeva, has stated that the claims against the organization lack a legal basis. She asserts that Kloop does not have to be registered as a mass media outlet because it is a nonprofit organization providing an information platform for free expression and raising awareness of youth in Kyrgyzstan on current socio-political and economic affairs.

Representatives of the independent media community in Kyrgyzstan have issued a joint statement condemning the authorities’ lawsuit. They argue that the government’s effort to punish Kloop’s “sharp criticism of politics” is protected speech guaranteed by the Kyrgyz Constitution and Kyrgyzstan‘s international human rights obligations. The Committee to Protect Journalists has also called for an end to the legal action against Kloop Media.

International Support for Freedom of Speech

Kyrgyzstan‘s international partners, including the European Union, EU member states, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, should urge the government to withdraw the lawsuit and honor its commitments to freedom of speech. The preservation of independent media is fundamental for a functioning democracy, and any attempts to suppress critical voices undermine the democratic values that Kyrgyzstan aims to uphold.

Keywords: Press Freedom, Kyrgyzstan, Media Censorship, Journalism, Human Rights, Freedom of Speech, Democracy, Government Repression, Independent Media

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