Kyrgyz authorities have filed a lawsuit to close down Kloop Media Public Foundation, a nonprofit body that runs an independent online news outlet in Kyrgyzstan. The move continues a repressive trend against freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan. Human Rights Watch said in a statement.
«The lawsuit against Kloop Media is the most recent in a string of attacks on freedom of media and freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan, all incompatible with the country’s international human rights obligations, as well as its status as a member of the UN Human Rights Council,» said Syinat Sultanalieva, Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. «Kyrgyz authorities should immediately withdraw the lawsuit and stop harassing independent media in the country.»
Kloop Media’s lawyer, Fatima Yakupbaeva, said the claims lack a legal basis. She said Kloop does not have to be registered as a mass media outlet because it is a nonprofit organization, which according to its charter provides «an information platform for free expression» and aims to «raise awareness of youth in Kyrgyzstan on current socio-political and economic affairs.»
Representatives of independent media community in Kyrgyzstan issued a joint statement saying that the authorities should withdraw their lawsuit, deeming it untenable and asserting that the Kyrgyz government’s effort to punish Kloop’s «sharp criticism of politics» is protected speech guaranteed by the Kyrgyz Constitution and Kyrgyzstan’s international human rights obligations.
The Committee to Protect Journalists also called for the cessation of the legal action against Kloop Media.
Kyrgyzstan’s international partners including the European Union, EU member states, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe should urge the government to withdraw the lawsuit and to uphold its commitments to freedom of speech.
Human Rights Watch
«Kyrgyz authorities should withdraw the lawsuit against Kloop Media and cease all attempts at punishing journalists for their professional activities,» Sultanalieva said. «The preservation of independent media is fundamental for a functioning democracy and any attempts to suppress critical voices undermine the democratic values Kyrgyzstan has aspired to uphold.»
It was reported on August 28 that Bishkek prosecutor Emilbek Abdymanapov filed a lawsuit in court to liquidate Kloop.Media public foundation.
The lawsuit, in particular, states that «most of the publications are of a negative nature, aimed at discrediting representatives of state and municipal bodies», «Kloop.Media publications contain hidden manipulations of the opinion of the society, which are imposed negative processes that do not correspond to reality, and create opposition to any undertakings of the current government».
The prosecutor cites several headlines and materials from Kloop.kg, which, according to the oversight body, are sharply critical of the government.
The prosecutor’s office also accuses the public foundation of concealing a large amount of funds.
Source: 24.kg News Agency