AKIPRESS.COM - The Kyrgyz authorities should drop criminal cases of "war propaganda" and "calls to mass disorder" initiated against several independent media outlets, eight human rights groups said in a joint statement.

The groups facing charges include 24.KG, Temirov Live, Ayt Ayt Dese, Alga Media, Archa Media, and Politklinika. On January 15 and 16, 2024, Kyrgyz law enforcement agents and security services carried out early morning raids targeting media outlets and reporters. The authorities should stop intimidating and harassing journalists, and allow them to carry out their work without obstruction, the statement said.

The groups issuing that statement are Human Rights Watch, Civil Rights Defenders, International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), Norwegian Helsinki Committee, People in Need, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, and International Federation for Human Rights and World Organisation Against Torture within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.

The Kyrgyz authorities need to take immediate and decisive steps to bring the country’s respect for press freedom in accordance with its international obligations, in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the groups said. They should immediately cease their repressive actions against independent media outlets and journalists, and allow them to report on events in the country and the rest of the world without fear of retribution. The authorities should also refrain from pursuing the draft media law in its current format. The Kyrgyz authorities’ respect for freedom of expression should be an important consideration by the EU and other actors seeking closer engagement with the country.