Eight international human rights groups have called on the Kyrgyz government to stop its crackdown on independent media after 11 journalists were detained in a move the watchdogs said was aimed at "intimidating and harassing" journalists to keep them from carrying out their work.
In a statement dated January 16, Civil Rights Defenders, Human Rights Watch, the International Partnership for Human Rights, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, People in Need, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, the International Federation for Human Rights, and the World Organization Against Torture urge the Kyrgyz authorities to respect freedom of the press and cease their repressive actions.
The statement came the same day Kyrgyz police detained 11 former and current reporters of Temirov Live investigative group and its Ait Ait Dese project after searching their homes and offices on a charge of "calls for disobedience and mass riots" over the group's reporting. A court decision on the journalists' pretrial restrictions is pending.
The day before that, the State Committee for National Security (UKMK) briefly detained for questioning the director and two editors of the independent 24.kg news agency after searching their homes and offices in a case of "propagating war" because of the outlet's coverage of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
SEE ALSO: Director, Editors Of Kyrgyz News Website Detained After Offices SearchedKyrgyzstan's civil society and free press have traditionally been the most vibrant in Central Asia. But that has changed amid a deepening government crackdown.
The searches and detentions took place as Kyrgyz lawmakers prepare to discuss a draft media law that has been criticized by journalists and right activists who say that if adopted, the law would increase government control over the media and allow it to obstruct journalists' activities and shut down media outlets.
The joint statement by the human rights groups calls on the Kyrgyz authorities "to take immediate and decisive steps to bring the country's respect for press freedom in accordance with its international obligations, in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights."
Kyrgyz authorities "should immediately cease their repressive actions against independent media outlets and journalists and allow them to report on events in the country and the rest of the world without fear of retribution," the joint statement says.
"The authorities should also refrain from pursuing the draft media law in its current format. The Kyrgyz authorities' respect for freedom of expression should be an important consideration by the EU and other actors seeking closer engagement with the country," it added.