Monday17 March 2025
nurtoday.com

Kyrgyz journalists sentenced for inciting unrest were unable to appeal their verdict.

The Supreme Court of Kyrgyzstan upheld the sentences for two journalists from Temirov Live and "Ait, Ait Dese," who were convicted for inciting mass riots, reports 24.kg. Media outlets noted that the investigation identified calls for unrest in phrases taken from the epic "Manas."
Кыргызские журналисты, осужденные за призывы к беспорядкам, не смогли обжаловать свой приговор.

Mahabat Tajibek kyzy and Azymat Ishenbekov, who received sentences of six and five years in prison respectively, have appealed their verdicts. After reviewing their appeals, the Supreme Court upheld the sentences.

In October 2024, a court in Bishkek issued a verdict against 11 independent journalists accused of inciting mass unrest. Four media workers were found guilty, two of whom—Mahabat Tajibek kyzy and Azymat Ishenbekov—were given real prison sentences, while the remaining seven were acquitted.

Kyrgyzstan's law enforcement agencies became interested in the employees of Temirov LIVE and "Ait, Ait Dese," who investigate corruption in government structures, back in 2022. However, they came under investigation in 2024. In court, as writes "Current Time. Asia," linguists admitted that they detected calls for unrest in the phrase "Freedom is not given freely; you have to fight for it." Journalists concluded their broadcasts with this line from the epic "Manas."