A Bishkek court placed Kyrgyz journalist Semetei Talas-uulu under house arrest on November 3, two days after he was detained on a charge of preparing and disseminating extremist materials. Talas-uulu, who insists he is innocent, told journalists that the charge against him stems from a post he shared last year from a website close to the Hizb ut-Tahrir Islamic group, which is banned in Kyrgyzstan. The 41-year-old investigative journalist’s detainment came days after he covered a mass rally on October 23 protesting the nation's handing of a Kyrgyz-Uzbek border deal. To read the original story from RFE/RL’ Kyrgyz Service, click here.
Kyrgyz Journalist Placed Under House Arrest On Extremism Charge
Semetei Talas-uulu (file photo)