Azattyk Media applied to the Financial Intelligence Service under the Ministry of Finance and the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan for explanations regarding the blocking of bank accounts and the letter from Demir Bank. But no responses were received from the government agencies.
On November 2, Demir Bank, in response to a request, reported that the operations on the accounts were suspended on the basis of the Law on Combating Financing of Terrorist Activities and Legalization (Laundering) of Criminal Proceeds. The bank offered Azattyk to contact the State Financial Intelligence Service for more detailed information.
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 standards.»
Blocking of accounts of the media outlet was announced later. Demir Bank verbally reported that the accounts were blocked, and recommended to contact the State Committee for National Security for clarification. The media outlet contacted the bank for official clarification of the situation.
