The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressed strong condemnation regarding a recent legal maneuver by the Kyrgyz prosecutor’s office, targeting the independent media outlet, Aprel TV. The lawsuit claims that the broadcaster’s coverage of government activities is “negative” and “destructive.” According to CPJ, such actions are deemed unacceptable within a democratic context.
The legal complaint was filed by the Prosecutor’s Office of the Oktyabrsky District in Bishkek, demanding that Aprel TV cease operations and relinquish its broadcasting license. The Kyrgyz authorities justified their actions on the grounds of public security and halting the dissemination of what they allege to be unlawful information. In response, Aprel TV’s editorial team articulated that the government’s objection concerns alleged illegal content portraying the current administration negatively, potentially eroding public trust and inciting unrest, according to their explanation.
CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia Senior Researcher, Anna Brakha, made a firm appeal for Kyrgyz authorities to allow Aprel TV to operate without constraints, underscoring the essential role of critical journalism in a functioning democracy. Brakha criticized the ongoing trend in Kyrgyzstan of shuttering media for unfavorable reporting, emphasizing, “In a democratic society, critical news coverage is not grounds to shutter the media.”
The broader human rights context in Kyrgyzstan illustrates a troubling pattern. Since the ascendancy of President Sadyr Japarov in 2021, there has been mounting pressure on civil society and independent media. This pattern is reflected in reports that in 2024 alone, 145 incidents involving attacks and threats against journalists were documented. These included judicial and economic pressures, confiscations of media property, and arrests of journalists delving into corruption at senior levels of government.
Current legislative measures, like the “Foreign Representatives” Law, ratified the previous year, mandate non-profits and media entities to register similarly to the Russian “foreign agents” law. This has been highlighted by CPJ as a threat to free speech, urging reconsideration of such laws.
The legal action against Aprel TV is symptomatic of broader concerns about the rule of law and press freedom in Kyrgyzstan, with the international community closely watching these developments.