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CPJ calls for thorough investigation into Channel Three arson

Kyrgyzstan authorities should conduct a quick and thorough investigation into the arson attack on the office of the Channel Three broadcaster. Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a statement.

At around 7 a.m. on June 7, unidentified attackers threw a Molotov cocktail through a window of the independent television station’s office in the northern city of Talas.

According to director of the broadcaster, Zhannat Toktosunova, no one was in the office at the time, but the fire damaged the outlet’s broadcasting equipment. She estimated the damage to be worth up to $15,000, and said the equipment will not be easily replaced.

Toktosunova told CPJ that the station recently received criticism from government supporters on social media, who alleged Channel Three was «disseminating western values» after it rebroadcast programs by the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Kyrgyz and Russian-language services.

«Kyrgyz authorities must find the arsonists behind the attack on the independent Channel Three broadcaster, hold them to account, and ensure the safety of Channel Three’s journalists and staff,» said CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, Gulnoza Said. «Media outlets in Kyrgyzstan should not face harassment or attacks in connection to their coverage.»

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