Detention of 11 journalists: City Court leaves sanctions unchanged

16:40, 05 февраля 2024, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Maria ORLOVA

The Bishkek City Court considered the complaint of lawyers of five detained journalists. The press service of the court reported.

The court materials in relation to Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy (legality of detention and measure of restraint), Maksat Tazhibek uulu (legality of detention and measure of restraint), Tynystan Asypbekov (lawfulness of detention), Aktilek Kaparov (lawfulness of detention), Saipidin Sultanaliev (preventive measure), Zhodar Buzumov (preventive measure) and Azamat Ishenbekov (preventive measure) were considered.

«By the rulings of the judicial panel, the decisions of the first instance were left unchanged, and the appeals were not satisfied,» the court said.

On January 16, the office of Temirov Live was searched and editorial equipment was confiscated. The police searched homes and detained 11 current and former employees of the media outlet.

The Interior Ministry issued a statement announcing that, as a result of «forensic linguistic examination» of content found on the social media pages of Temirov Live and Ait Ait Dese on December 30, criminal proceedings had been initiated against them under article 278, part 3 of the Criminal Code for «calling for riots.»

Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy, Sapar Akunbekov, Azamat Ishenbekov, Saipidin Sultanaliev, Aktilek Kaparov, Tynystan Asypbekov, Maksat Tazhibek uulu, Zhoodar Buzumov, Zhumabek Turdaliev, Aike Beishekeeva and Akyl Orozbekov will be kept in Bishkek pretrial detention center 1 until March 13.

All of them are former or current employees of Temirov Live.