Media Action Platform of Kyrgyzstan nominated journalists Aktilek Kaparov and Aike Beishekeeva for the Most Resilient Journalist and Young Journalist awards.
The nominees will be announced in September this year. The Free Press Awards are given to journalists and media workers, who are firmly committed to freedom of the press and independent information.
Investigative journalist Aktilek Kaparov started working as a journalist for Factcheck.kg and Temirov Live projects. However, he then organized his own media outlet — Alga.media. He graduated from the Faculty of International Relations at the Bishkek State University. He is the author of several headline-making journalistic investigations.
Aike Beishekeeva is the youngest of those detained in Temirov Live case. The journalist was arrested on her birthday. She specialized in fact-checking and checking fakes. Aike received her journalistic education in Poland.
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 most of the detained journalists under house arrest and released under a written undertaking not to leave the city.
