Court proceedings against Azattyk, Zanoza.kg to be suspended

«The court proceedings in relation to Azattyk and Zanoza.kg will be suspended," lawyer Klara Sooronkulova told 24.kg news agency.

According to her, the Constitutional Chamber of Kyrgyzstan accepted an application for recognition of Articles 1 and 4 of the Law On guarantees of the activities of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, which contradict the Constitution, for consideration.

Recall, Article 4 authorizes the Prosecutor General to protect the honor and dignity of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic. «But under the Constitution of 2010, the President has a completely different status. Moreover, the Basic Law clearly defines the functions of the Prosecutor General’s Office, and they are not subject to extension. And one more such point: honor and dignity are personal characteristics of a person, and the President is an institution after all, and one should not personify him. Then let’s introduce such concepts as the honor and dignity of the Prime Minister or the Parliament," Klara Sooronkulova noted.

She added that the civil courts, until the Constitutional Chamber makes a decision on the petition, will be suspended according to the law.

Earlier, the Prosecutor General’s Office filed the fifth lawsuit against journalists of Zanoza.kg and a lawsuit against the head of Adilet Legal Clinic Cholpon Dzhakupova. The supervising body believes that they have offended the honor and dignity of the Kyrgyz President when covering the work of the round table on the topic of freedom of speech and civil rights.

The court ruled to arrest the property of the human rights defender and banned Dina Maslova, editor-in-chief of Zanoza.kg and its co-founder Naryn Aiyip, as well as Cholpon Dzhakupova, to leave the country. The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Kyrgyz Republic demands recovering 12 million som from the defendants.