In Kyrgyzstan, an ‘unprecedented crackdown’ on free press raises alarm
Al Jazeera
As several laws threaten to criminalise their work, investigative reporters are fleeing the Central Asian nation.
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and Warsaw, Poland – Last year, Aidai Irgebai had a serious talk with her two daughters, aged nine and seven.
The girls would not return to their school in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital, when the holiday break was over, Irgebai told them. In fact, they may not return home at all.
They were in Warsaw, Poland’s capital, where Kloop, a well-known investigative media outlet that Irgebai works for, had set up a new office pre-emptively, fearing the consequences of a growing crackdown against independent journalism in Kyrgyzstan.
With hindsight, that seems like a prescient move.
Before the summer ended, a court ruled that Kloop should be shut down, claiming that it was not properly registered as a media organisation. Kloop, still operating for now, is appealing the decision.
