Several international human rights organizations have condemned probes launched against a well-known Kyrgyz investigative journalist, Bolot Temirov, who was first accused of illegal drugs possession before being charged additionally with forgery and illegally crossing the border, all of which he denies.
In a joint statement on May 3, the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC), the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR), and Civil Rights Defenders (CRD) called on Kyrgyz authorities to drop the charges and "ensure that he is able to carry out his legitimate journalistic work without intimidation and harassment."
"The timing of the charges brought against Bolot Temirov clearly indicates that they are intended to punish him for his courageous efforts to expose and fight against government corruption. The international community should insist that the [Kyrgyz] authorities immediately drop these politically motivated and punitive charges -- not only for Temirov’s sake, but for all independent journalists in Kyrgyzstan,” IPHR Director Brigitte Dufour said.
Temirov was arrested in January for allegedly possessing illegal drugs, which he says were planted by police.
Last month, Bishkek city police additionally charged Temirov with forgery and illegal border crossing, alleging that he journalist, who was born and raised in Russia and holds a Russian passport, used forged documents to obtain a Kyrgyz passport in 2008 and used it to illegally exit and enter Kyrgyzstan in recent years.
Temirov has rejected all the charges, saying they were brought against him after he published results of his investigation suggesting corruption among top officials of the Central Asian nation.
"The prosecution of Bolot Temirov represents a shameful new milestone for freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan. This brave journalist is being made an example of for the apparent purpose of intimidating the wider journalistic community,’’ Lenur Kerymov, the director of international programs at the HFHR, said.
Kyrgyz authorities have denied that probes against Temirov are politically motivated.
Temirov was among 12 people recognized by the U.S. State Department last year as anti-corruption champions.