Kyrgyz Court Sentences Journalists for Inciting Unrest

A Kyrgyz court has sentenced two journalists, Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy and Azamat Ishenbekov, to six and five years in prison, respectively, for allegedly inciting unrest, as part of a broader crackdown on independent media linked to the investigative outlet Temirov Live. The case involved a total of 11 journalists, with four receiving sentences and the remaining seven acquitted due to lack of evidence. Critics, including Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International, have condemned the verdict as a politically motivated attack on press freedom, asserting that it reflects a significant decline in civil liberties in Kyrgyzstan. Tazhibek’s husband, Bolot Temirov, the outlet's founder, is currently in exile after being stripped of citizenship. The charges were reportedly connected to Temirov Live's investigations into government corruption, raising concerns about the regime's efforts to suppress dissent and silence critical voices. Observers note that this incident marks a turning point for the independent press in the country, which has seen increasing government intimidation and repression in recent years.