BISHKEK -- The trial of noted Kyrgyz investigative journalist Bolot Temirov, who is charged with several offenses he and his supporters call politically motivated, has started in Bishkek.
Temirov repeated his innocence in his opening statement as the Sverdlov district court opened the trial on June 21.
Temirov and traditional bard singer Bolot Nazarov, who performed his anti-corruption songs on the YouTube channel Temirov LIVE, were arrested in January for allegedly possessing illegal drugs, which the two men say were planted by police.
In April, Bishkek city police filed additional charges against Temirov, accusing him of forgery and illegally crossing the border with Russia.
They said Temirov, who was born and raised in Russia and holds a Russian passport, used forged documents to obtain a Kyrgyz passport in 2008, which he then used to illegally exit and enter Kyrgyzstan.
Temirov has rejected all of the charges, saying they were brought against him after he published the results of his investigation revealing corruption among top officials of the Central Asian country.
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.