The men claimed the reporters had no permission to film, but though Kyrgyz laws require no permits from journalists filming or covering public officials during demonstrations.
The three did not show their proof of identity, even though Kyrgyz Police policy requires officers to identify themselves.
They did return the phone to a Kloop reporter as soon as others began filming the encounter.
The day after the protest, Kloop published a statement, asking the Ministry of Internal Affairs to take action about what had happened: to identify the men and punish them for abusing their authority if they are policemen.
“Such kind of illegal actions are unacceptable, especially from police officers. We are asking for an explanation from Interior Ministry. These men should take responsibility for their actions... It’s extremely worrying that Kyrgyz policemen do not know the laws under which they work,” Kloop editor-in-chief Eldiyar Arykbaev told OCCRP.
Friday, Interior Ministry representative Karima Amankulova contacted the editor for details about what happened to the reporters and said the results of the internal investigation will be published.
The protest was a show of support for the Khachaturian sisters now standing trial in Moscow for murdering their father last year. The sisters, ages 17, 18, and 19 at the time, claim they acted in self-defense against a father who was molesting them. Feminists and others across Russian language countries have come out in solidarity with the teens.
