The Sokuluk district court in Kyrgyzstan's north has sent noted blogger Ertai Iskakov and two activists, Bakyt Balbaev and Baktybek Bekbolotov, to pretrial detention until September 15 over last week's rally by two villages to demand a resumption of drinking water supplies. The men were charged with hooliganism and illegally blocking a highway. The men's lawyers told RFE/RL that their clients pleaded not guilty. Isakov is a well-known blogger who raises social issues in his reports. Several villages near Bishkek, the capital, have faced drinking water shortages for days. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.
Kyrgyz Blogger, Activists Sent To Pretrial Detention After Rally Over Drinking Water
Ertai Iskakov, a well-known blogger who raises social issues in his reports, was charged with hooliganism and illegally blocking a highway.