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The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch called on the authorities of Kyrgyzstan to stop the persecution of journalists and independent media. This is stated in the statement of the organization.

Human rights activists note that in recent months the country’s authorities have stepped up the persecution of journalists and the media through a series of criminal investigations into their activities.

“Kyrgyz authorities claim to protect freedom of speech but are trying to silence critical voices and suppress independent media through criminal investigations and trumped-up charges,” said Syinat Sultanalieva, a Central Asia researcher at HRW.

Human rights activists indicate the case against the Next TV channel as such persecution . According to them, the TV channel is already “the third media outlet that has become a target of the Kyrgyz authorities in recent months.” Other examples of harassment in HRW include the detention of investigative journalist Bolot Temirov and the initiation of a criminal case under the article “Propaganda for war” over the publication by Kaktus Media of a reprint from a Tajik publication.