Mediazona. Central Asia temporarily halts operations

Mediazona. Central Asia project has temporarily suspended its operations. A statement on its Telegram channel says.

This media outlet publishes news and stories from Central Asian countries. It was launched on January 23, 2020, and primarily focused on reporting for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

In their announcement, the editorial team stated that the project would temporarily be unable to «report on corrupt officials, arbitrariness of law enforcers, and other pressing issues in our countries... We are forced to suspend publishing new materials.» No specific reasons for the suspension were provided. However, the journalists expressed hope to «return to work soon.»

The editorial team does not disclose its funding sources.

Many media outlets and projects faced closure after U.S. President Donald Trump suspended USAID grants.

It was reported on February 2 that the USAID website and its account on X had stopped working.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was founded in 1961 following the Foreign Assistance Act, initiated by President John F. Kennedy during the Cold War. One of its primary goals was to counter Soviet influence through international aid programs.