Rally against censorship and Gulshat Asylbayeva’s bill on protection from false and inaccurate information is held near the White House in Bishkek.
«The issue is not on the agenda today. But our forecasts are coming true, this convocation will continue its work, and will adopt the bill in the next two weeks. We also held protest against the initiative of Gulshat Asylbaeva last year. The authors of the bill claim that it is aimed at combating fakes, but it is obvious that it is against freedom of speech. Fight against fakes is not conducted in such a way, it is necessary to develop media literacy,» the protesters said.
The deputies approved the resonant document on June 26, 2020. At least 79 members of the Parliament voted for it. Civil activists, domestic and international human rights activists demanded from the President Sooronbai Jeenbekov to veto the bill of Gulshat Asylbaeva, which threatens freedom of speech in the republic. However, under the Constitution, the head of state does not have an absolute veto right.
Jeenbekov returned the controversial law to the Parliament for revision in July. A group for overcoming the objections was formed. As a result, name of the document was changed to «protection from false and inaccurate information».
