Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the Kyrgyz Ministry of Culture’s decision to ask a court to close the local branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), called Radio Azattyk, whose websites have been blocked since October. Statement of the organization says.
The human rights activists call on the country’s authorities to put an end to the judicial harassment of Azattyk and to stop stifling independent media.
«These violations reflect a desire to establish a new hierarchy of ’truth’ that puts government discourse above the law,» said Jeanne Cavelier, the head of RSF’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. «The blocking of Azattyk’s websites and the judicial harassment aimed at shutting it down, echo investigative reporter Bolot Temirov’s illegal deportation to Russia. Kyrgyzstan was hitherto seen as an exception in Central Asia, one with relative press freedom, but it is now taking a worrying authoritarian turn. We condemn the step-by-step censorship of Azattyk and we call on the authorities to stop harassing independent media.»
The Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan filed a lawsuit with the Leninsky District Court of Bishkek to terminate the activities of Azattyk Media institution as a media outlet.
On October 27, the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan announced that it had suspended the operation of Radio Azattyk website for two months. The ministry noted that on September 16, the Current Time resource (subordinate structure of Azattyk Media) published a video entitled «Heavy fighting on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan», in which «elements of hate speech, unconfirmed information about the alleged attack by the Kyrgyz side on Tajikistan were used, as well as information that aggravates the situation in society and causes hatred, discrimination and division among citizens when covering events in Batken region.»
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.»
