Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has voiced concern over the detention of two cameramen, Alexander Alexandrov and Zhoomart Duulatov, in Kyrgyzstan. The media professionals, affiliated with Kloop, one of the nation’s few remaining independent media outlets, are facing charges of inciting mass riots. RSF has urged the Kyrgyz authorities for their release, condemning the President Sadyr Japarov regime’s actions against Kloop’s personnel as deliberate targeting. Jeanne Cavelier, head of RSF’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, criticized the procedural violations and the use of forced confessions as part of the Kyrgyz government’s efforts to silence journalists.
The detentions occurred on May 28, 2025, when seven affiliates of Kloop were taken by the State Committee for National Security (GKNB). Kloop’s founder, Rinat Tukhvatshin, described the arrests as abductions, arguing that the actions represent a violation of legal and human rights standards. The two cameramen are set to be held in pre-trial detention until July 21 under unclear allegations. For more details, RSF has published a statement on the situation here.
The Kyrgyz authorities claimed that some of the detained journalists received financial support from Bolot Temirov, a deported investigative journalist. Tukhvatshin refuted these statements, arguing the claims lack substantiation. This is reminiscent of previous actions against independent journalism, including Temirov’s deportation in 2022, which RSF also condemned as unfair (source).
Furthermore, Kloop maintains that those detained were not provided access to legal representation during interrogations, which is a significant breach of Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Kyrgyz lawyer Bakyt Avtandil called the detention and interrogation process unlawful, noting that the accused and their relatives were kept uninformed about the judicial orders involved.
The situation has garnered international attention, with Amnesty International also commenting on the arrests of Kloop staff. Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, criticized the actions as part of a broader strategy to suppress dissent and silence independent media in Kyrgyzstan (source).
The persistent governmental crackdown came to the limelight when Kyrgyzstan’s Supreme Court upheld a decision to liquidate Kloop in September 2024, drawing widespread criticism (article here) for its implications on civil society and rights. The recent detention of human rights defender Rita Karasartova only adds to the prevailing concerns about deteriorating conditions for civil liberties in Kyrgyzstan.