Investigative journalist Bolot Temirov recorded a video message to the authorities, in which he stated that despite the harassment and persecution, no one “will be able to break him.”

“I was beaten, spyed on, wiretapped, blackmailed, threatened, harassed, harassed, and this continues to this day. And even got into my personal life and members of our team. [They] spread vileness through their fakes and trolls, ridiculing and mocking, continue to discredit us,” he said.

Now, four criminal cases have been opened against Temirov. He is accused of illegally obtaining a passport and military ID, illegally crossing the border and manufacturing drugs. All cases were opened after the journalist published investigations about the relatives of the head of the State Committee for National Security, Kamchybek Tashiev.

Temirov also answered the words of Deputy Head of the Cabinet of Ministers Edil Baisalov. Earlier, Baisalov wrote on his Twitter that “investigations should be carried out by people with a crystal clear reputation, and not employees of Bakiyev’s fifth channel, as it turned out, with fake documents.”