BISHKEK -- A court in Kyrgyzstan has upheld a decision of the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports, and Youth Policies to block the websites of RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, known locally as Radio Azattyk, after the broadcaster refused to remove a report on a border dispute with neighboring Tajikistan.
The ruling by Bishkek's Administrative Court was announced on March 7 at an appeal hearing launched by RFE/RL that sought to have the October move to block the sites overturned. The court did not explain the reasoning behind its ruling.
RFE/RL's lawyers said they will appeal the court decision.
Representatives of the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports, and Youth Policies reiterated at the hearing that their decision was made due to RFE/RL's refusal to remove from its websites a video about deadly clashes along a disputed segment of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border in September, again emphasizing that the video took the position of the Tajik side.
The video in question was produced by Current Time, the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with Voice of America.
RFE/RL President and Chief Executive Officer Jamie Fly said the broadcaster "takes our commitment to balanced reporting seriously" and that after a review of the content in question, "no violation of our standards" was found.
Shortly after Radio Azattyk's websites in Kyrgyz and Russian were blocked in late October, Kyrgyzstan's State Financial Intelligence (FChK) informed RFE/RL that its bank accounts were frozen in accordance with the law on countering money laundering after "a flag was raised" by security services.
In December, the FChK told RFE/RL that after a special inspection, the media outlet was excluded from the registry of potential money launderers. However, RFE/RL's bank accounts remain frozen.
Dozens of media organizations, domestic and international rights groups, Kyrgyz politicians, and lawmakers have urged the government to unblock Radio Azattyk’s websites.
In early February, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the Kyrgyz authorities’ move to seek Radio Azattyk’s closure, saying the case poses “a major new obstacle to press freedom,” which it said is “under growing pressure” in Kyrgyzstan.