Chilling effect – Kyrgyzstan jails anti-corruption journalists
Thankfully it isn’t often that anti-corruption journalists are jailed but unfortunately just recently in Kyrgyzstan two journalists, who had worked for an anti-corruption group, Kloop, but were working for another anti-corruption group, Temirov Live, group were sentenced to five years in prison. The Jurist News noted that what was notable was that “freedom of the press and freedom of speech is guaranteed in article 32(2) of Kyrgyzstan’s Constitution, all traditional media is state-owned and the few remaining independent news outlets have seen a notable rise in government persecution since 2022. This includes arbitrary arrests and intimidation, as well as state-backed smear campaigns.” The journalists had been accused of inciting riots, based upon a text from a Temirov Live video which said, “Freedom is not granted, freedom is sought.”
Why do we care about this case? The key elements in this instance, is that the government seems to be willing to bring a law suit against these journalists, and though Kyrgyzstan has in the recent past portrayed itself as working against corruption, this case highlights that Kyrgyzstan may be simply checking boxes regarding corruption as an attempt to bring investment to the country and provide an outward appearance of openness. These types of arrests and actions also provide another view, in that the government is not encouraging citizens to address corruption and are not open to making changes. Activists and international governments should continue emphasize the need for integrity and honesty, and placing pressure on the Kyrgyz government to continue to publicize their retrograde actions. Freedom of press and expression is essential in transparent governance and must continually be supported and highlighted.
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