Lawsuits against the Kyrgyz news outlets had "muzzling" effect. The Office of the UN High Commissioner reported on the results of the visit of the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour to Bishkek.
Andrew Gilmour welcomed the retraction of some »defamation” cases, which he hoped would be followed by the easing of restrictions.
He also touched on the issue of infringement of the rights of ethnic minorities. »Fair and equal treatment of ethnic minorities is a prerequisite for a just society and helps prevent violent extremism," he believes.
»It is a lesson learned from UN experience in many countries confronting violent extremism. Human rights violations committed by governments, including discrimination among targeted groups, lead to a strong sense of alienation and often violence and terrorism,” Andrew Gilmour stressed.
