After the European Parliament expressed concern over media freedom and the intimidation of political opposition in Kyrgyzstan, the country first invited, then canceled, and later claimed it had only postponed a visit by the EU’s Subcommittee on Human Rights.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov initially invited members of the European Parliament’s subcommittee to visit Bishkek and see for themselves that the concerns outlined in the resolution adopted in December were unfounded.
“You adopted the resolution from several thousand kilometers away without any evidence. Come and see that everything is in order with us,” Japarov stated.
The subcommittee accepted the invitation, and the visit was scheduled for the end of February. However, last Thursday, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs canceled it.
“This decision is regrettable and comes as a surprise, as preparations were well underway. With this mission, we aimed to strengthen cooperation on the enforcement of human rights in the country,” said Maunir Satouri, Chair of the Subcommittee.
The following day, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that the visit had not been canceled but merely postponed.
“The visit of the European Parliament delegation was not canceled. It was proposed to be rescheduled for a later date due to the lack of prior agreement on the timing and a busy foreign policy agenda,” the ministry stated.
However, it did not say it proposed a new date.
The European Parliament’s resolution primarily focused on the arrest of opposition leader Temirlanbek Sultanbekov and several independent journalists in 2024.
Sultanbekov and members of his party were arrested in mid-November 2024, just days before elections to the city council of Kyrgyzstan's capital. They were charged with vote-buying and placed in detention. Following his arrest, Sultanbekov began a hunger strike, which he continues to this day.
On Sunday, a Bishkek court once again extended the detention of Sultanbekov and his party members. The hearing was scheduled over the weekend, and his defense team plans to appeal.
Earlier in 2024, a Kyrgyz court sentenced four journalists on charges of inciting and organizing mass riots. Two received prison sentences of five and six years, while two others were given three years of probation. The remaining seven journalists named in the criminal case were acquitted due to a lack of evidence.
Press freedom groups have condemned the case as politically motivated and linked it to the Kyrgyz government’s broader crackdown on free expression.
