Human Rights Watch has issued a strong condemnation of the recent sentencing of two former media workers in Kyrgyzstan. Joomort Duulatov and Aleksandr Aleksandrov, both previously camera operators for the online platform Kloop, received five-year prison sentences after being convicted of “public calls for mass unrest.” This verdict has drawn widespread criticism and concern from rights organizations, emphasizing a growing threat to press freedom in the region.
The sentencing stems from a May 2025 incident where Duulatov and Aleksandrov, along with several others associated with Kloop, were detained by the State Committee on National Security (SCNS). The charges were linked to videos critical of the government posted on the YouTube channel of exiled journalist Bolot Temirov. Kloop and the defendants have denied these allegations and any connection to Temirov, arguing the media outlet’s role in these accusations has been overstated. Human Rights Watch points to a lack of evidence presented by prosecutors, even after confiscating devices and financial records, to substantiate the charges.
Syinat Sultanalieva, a Central Asia researcher at HRW, remarked on the worrying implications of these sentences, reflecting a wider crackdown on independent media under President Sadyr Japarov’s administration. Since assuming power in 2021, Japarov has pursued actions perceived to undermine civil society and press freedoms, transforming Kyrgyzstan from a previously regarded safe haven for independent journalism to a country increasingly silencing dissenting voices.
Kloop, founded in 2007, has been known for its hard-hitting investigative journalism focusing on corruption and human rights. The organization, alongside others such as Radio Free Europe and Aprel TV, has faced significant legal challenges and pressure in recent years. A legal battle that began in 2023 culminated in the Supreme Court upholding a decision to liquidate Kloop, despite objections and condemnation from international rights groups and activists. President Japarov has dismissed concerns about press freedom, arguing that Kloop’s reporting has been biased.
This intensifying crackdown on media freedom also includes legislative measures like the Foreign Representative Law, echoing Russia’s Foreign Agents law. This legislation necessitates the registration of non-profits, including some media entities, as foreign representatives, a move criticized by organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists. Calls for its repeal continue to gather momentum as part of a broader campaign to restore media freedom in Kyrgyzstan.