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The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has denounced the sentencing of Kyrgyz journalists Joomart Duulatov and Aleksandr Aleksandrov, who were each handed five-year prison terms by a local court on charges of inciting riots. Both worked as cameramen for Kloop, a prominent investigative outlet known for its anti-corruption reporting.
The charges stem from a video allegedly linked to Temirov Live, a separate YouTube-based investigative platform. Its founder, Bolot Temirov, has claimed full responsibility for the content, which included the phrase, “Freedom is not granted, freedom is sought.” Duulatov and Aleksandrov maintain they had no involvement in its production.
Kloop’s website has been blocked since 2023, and the outlet was formally shut down by the Supreme Court in 2024. Most of its journalists now operate in exile. The crackdown has extended to Temirov Live, with multiple staff members—including Temirov’s wife and presenter Azamat Ishenbekov—receiving prison sentences.
Despite constitutional guarantees of press freedom, independent media in Kyrgyzstan face increasing repression, including arrests, intimidation, and smear campaigns. CPJ’s Gulnoza Said urged authorities to release the journalists, warning that Kyrgyzstan is rapidly abandoning its reputation as a regional haven for press freedom.
Excerpts from jurist.org article by James Brierley | U. Ottawa Faculty of Law, CA
