The Supreme Court of the Kyrgyz Republic will consider a defense motion in the case of journalist Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy on February 2. She was sentenced to six years in prison under charges of «calling for mass unrest,» human rights defender Gulshaiyr Abdirasulova reported.
According to her, the hearing will take place against the backdrop of an official opinion by a UN working group, which found that the arrest and detention of Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy were arbitrary and contrary to international law.
Human rights advocates add that Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy is the mother of a minor child, yet the court denied her a deferral of sentence execution, despite such a possibility being provided by Kyrgyzstan’s national legislation.
On January 16, 2024, mass detentions took place in Kyrgyzstan, with 11 people linked to the journalism projects Temirov LIVE and Ait, Ait Dese arrested. The journalists were accused of «calling for mass unrest» based on their professional activities.
On October 10, 2024, the Leninsky District Court of Bishkek sentenced Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy, head of Temirov LIVE, to six years in prison. On December 18, 2024, the Bishkek City Court upheld the conviction. On February 25, 2025, the Supreme Court of the Kyrgyz Republic left the verdict unchanged.
Human rights defenders note that in its opinion, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that Kyrgyzstan violated seven articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and six articles of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The group concluded that the deprivation of liberty of Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy was a direct result of her legitimate exercise of freedom of expression, journalistic activity, and anti-corruption investigations.
In light of the UN Working Group’s findings, Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy’s lawyer has filed a motion with the Supreme Court of the Kyrgyz Republic to reopen the case due to newly discovered circumstances. Activists have called on diplomatic missions, international human rights organizations, journalists, and editorial teams of international and national media outlets to attend the court hearing as observers.
