14:32, 12 мая 2017, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Anastasia BENGARD
President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev proposed the Prosecutor General’s Office to consider the issue on withdrawal of claims to Azattyk Media, the presidential press service reported.
The Information Policy Department reminded: the Prosecutor General filed suits on the facts of distribution by certain mass media of unreliable and discrediting the honor and dignity of the President of the materials. Azattyk Media, the Kyrgyz branch of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty is also among the defendants.
Earlier, on March 30, Almazbek Atambayev met with the president of the media corporation Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Thomas Kent. The sides discussed the problems of balance and objectivity in covering developments in the country, the issues of impartiality of journalism, the reasons for generation of opinions about the bias of certain journalists.
In the time that has passed since the meeting, Azattyk radio has shown a positive trend, ensuring a more balanced broadcasting of radio and media publications.
Information Policy Department of the Presidential Administration
«Many experts note the quality improvement in coverage of events by Azattyk radio. With the unconditional preservation of the principles of free journalism and freedom of speech, appropriate measures have been taken by radio Azattyk to comply with editorial policy, including the preliminary systemic legal analysis of contentious provisions in the preparation of materials on air and publications on the Internet website," the statement says.
It is noted that the aforementioned trials have contributed to the revitalization of the entire media community and the non-governmental sector, and most importantly — the unfolding of discussion about the quality of journalists' work and the need to revise some of the stereotypes that led to the discrediting of freedom of speech. All these processes within the media community, according to Almazbek Atambayev, lead to the improvement of the national information space.