The call comes after the Bishkek Prosecutor’s Office last week asked a local court to close the independent outlet, alleging that it lacks the proper license. The document also details forensic analyses of Kloop’s reporting, accusing the media outlet of spreading fear and despair among the public.
The claim was served just two days after Kyrgyz president Sadyr Japarov criticized Kloop directly in an interview with the state news agency Kabar.
“This is not the first time Sadyr Japarov has tried to intimidate and censor independent media in his country, which until last year was regarded as a relative oasis of press freedom in Central Asia,” said Jeanne Cavelier, head of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk at Reporters Without Borders. “He seems allergic to criticism and his reflex responses betray him. His violent and contemptuous reaction to Kloop's investigation, compounded by an absurd lawsuit, show his true colors.”
Human Rights Watch released a statement saying the prosecutors’ action “seeks to punish sharp criticism of the government” as part of the regime’s repressive campaign against media freedoms.
“The lawsuit against Kloop Media is the most recent in a string of attacks on freedom of media and freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan, all incompatible with the country’s international human rights obligations, as well as its status as a member of the UN Human Rights Council,” said Syinat Sultanalieva, Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Kyrgyz authorities should immediately withdraw the lawsuit and stop harassing independent media in the country.”
The local media community has also interpreted the claim as politically driven, aiming to stifle press freedom and destroy independent media.
“The authorities’ public assurances that they are committed to the values of freedom of speech and the protection of constitutional human rights as their top political priorities have once again diverged in practice from their decisions and actions,” a group of local media representatives wrote in a joint statement.
Some politicians have also supported Kloop. Reforma, a political party led by human rights activists, called the prosecutors’ request “another blatant attempt to restrict freedom of speech in Kyrgyzstan and violate the right of citizens to receive information.”
“Without any embarrassment, criticism of the authorities has been indicated as the reason for closing an independent media outlet. They never descended to such lawlessness under any former president,” wrote Reforma in an official statement. “Criticism of the authorities is the inalienable right of any citizen, it is not a violation of the law and cannot be limited in any way.”
MP Dastan Bekeshev wished the Kloop team fortitude, and courage to other independent media.
The claim was served to Kloop on August 28. In it, the prosecutor’s office highlights that “the dissemination of information (the functions of mass media)” is not explicitly stated in Kloop’s charter, implying that the organization lacks a journalism license.
The prosecutor’s complaint also reveals that in November 2021, the National Committee for State Security (GKNB) initiated a criminal investigation against Kloop for publicly advocating the government's overthrow. During this inquiry, the GKNB ordered linguistic and psychological forensic assessments of several Kloop publications.
According to these analyses, the GKNB concluded that the selected items contained "sharp criticism of policies carried out by the current government" and had "a decidedly negative nature, aimed at discrediting representatives of state and municipal bodies."
Despite the licensing violation charge, four and a half of the five pages in the prosecutor’s complaint focus on critical reporting and alleged manipulation of public opinion against the authorities.
“The false and discrediting information disseminated by Kloop regarding the activities of state agencies causes the population to distrust state power, contributing to the growth of political instability, and the weakening and erosion of the constitutional order,” the complaint quotes an expert opinion.
The complaint was filed on the same day Kloop published its latest investigation about the involvement of the family of the head of the GKNB, Kamchybek Tashiev, in the construction of the Barcelona Football School in Kyrgyzstan alongside associates of President Sadyr Japarov.
While the prosecutor’s office, president and the head of GKNB keep silent, deputy head of the Cabinet of the Ministers Edil Baisalov took to X (formerly Twitter) to answer tweets from Hugh Williamson, Director, Europe & Central Asia division, Human Rights Watch, who asked whether there were more constructive ways of solving the license problem.
Baisalov suggested the issue could be resolved if Kloop demonstrated “maturity” and implied that the “attractive” narrative of “heroically brave and selfless truthsayers” persecuted by an authoritarian state was false.
The court scheduled a preliminary review of the claim for September 26.
