The Leninsky District Court of Bishkek on June 7 refused to satisfy the lawyers’ request to change the preventive measure to house arrest against four Temirov Live journalists. Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy, Azamat Ishenbekov, Aktilek Kaparov and Aike Beishekeyeva will remain in custody until August 8.
The court also changed the preventive measure for Saipidin Sultanaliev, a former Temirov Live journalist who now works at Archa Media. His house arrest was replaced with a written undertaking not to leave the city. The decisions were made at a closed court session.
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 were detained.
All of them are former or current employees of Temirov Live. All 11 detained journalists were arrested for two months.
Later, the court placed some of the detained journalists under house arrest and released under a written undertaking not to leave the city.
