Freezing of Azattyk Media accounts will have a bad impact on the investment climate in Kyrgyzstan. Deputy Dastan Bekeshev stated at a meeting of the Parliament.
He noted that a bank account could be blocked only in three cases.
«For tax debts, legalization of dubious capital, money laundering or by a court decision. Banks must not break the law. Investors are looking at this now. All this will have a bad effect on the investment climate,» said the deputy.
Two days ago, Demir Bank verbally reported that the media outlet’s accounts were blocked, and recommended to contact the State Committee for National Security for clarification. Azattyk has not received an official written notice from the financial institution. The security services promised to provide an answer later, but as of the morning of November 1, it still has not been received.
The Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan suspended the work of Azattyk Media website for two months on October 26, referring to the law of the ex-deputy Gulshat Asylbayeva on protection from inaccurate (false) information. The reason was a video from Current Time (a TV channel created by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) titled «Heavy fighting on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.» The material was also published on Azattyk Media website.
In a statement issued the same day, RFE/RL President Jamie Fly said the broadcaster had reviewed the content in question and found «no violation of our standards.»
«We will not succumb to pressure to remove balanced reporting from our sites, be it from the Kremlin or the Kyrgyz government,» he added.
