Freedom House: Court decisions limit press freedom in Kyrgyzstan
Human rights organization Freedom House issued a statement in response to the Supreme Court of Kyrgyzstan upholding a lower-level court decision to fine the founders of the independent outlet Zanoza.kg the equivalent of about $387,000 because of alleged libel against the country’s former president.
«The Supreme Court’s upholding a fine of 27 million soms against the founders of Zanoza.kg — Cholpon Dzhakupova, Naryn Ayip and Dina Maslova — effectively closes the news organization and could ruin the lives of journalists whose only ‘crime’ was to report on the country’s then president, Almazbek Atambayev,» said Marc Behrendt, director for Eurasia programs at Freedom House.
«At the same time, authorities are in the process of confiscating property of the country’s largest private TV station NTS, which belongs to the businessman and former presidential contender Omurbek Babanov,» the statement says.
