A Kyrgyz court has rejected the appeal of four journalists, two of whom were sentenced to prison and two to probation, for allegedly “calling for mass unrest.” That’s how authorities in Bishkek see the work of Temirov Live, an OCCRP partner focused on exposing government corruption.
Amnesty International and other press freedom and human rights organizations have previously labeled the case as politically motivated, calling it a continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s declining freedom of speech.
The Bishkek City Court upheld the previous ruling that sentenced Temirov Live’s director, Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy, to six years in prison, and poet and journalist Azamat Ishenbekov to five years. Two other journalists were sentenced to three years of probation each.
The journalists' lawyer, Nursultan Zhanibekov, expressed disappointment, stating that the court failed to consider evidence and expert opinions that undermined the prosecution’s case. He announced plans to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Evidence and expert opinions laid out by the defense were completely ignored by the court, Zhanibekov said.
At the hearing's conclusion, Ishenbekov recited poetry dedicated to his sick grandmother, who remains unaware of his sentencing. Tazhibek kyzy, 33, addressed her son, assuring him that she did not abandon him and affirming her commitment to building a free and prosperous country for him.
In October, prosecutors had sought six-year sentences for 11 defendants in the case. Ultimately, only four were convicted, while the remaining seven were acquitted due to insufficient evidence.
The verdict has drawn sharp criticism from international human rights groups. Back then, Amnesty International called for the charges against Temirov Live journalists to be dropped, describing them as politically motivated attempts to silence independent journalism.
“This unjust sentence is a devastating blow to freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan and a clear attempt by the authorities to silence independent journalism,” said Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director. “These harsh sentences only serve to intimidate journalists and civil society, creating a climate of fear in the country.”
