The recent ruling to close 'Azattyk Media' reflects a growing pattern in Kyrgyzstan to draft and arbitrarily implement controversial and ambiguous laws that could be misused to target people and institutions exercising their rights to free expression and information.
Bishkek's Lenin District Court has ordered an examination of the language used in a video the government cited when it halted the operations of RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, saying it contains elements of inciting ethnic hatred and war propaganda, an allegation the broadcaster has rejected.
Ales Bialiatski, one of Belarus' top human rights advocates, is the founder and chairman of the Viasna Human Rights Center, a nonprofit that focuses on providing financial aid and legal assistance to political prisoners and their families.
On the eve of the verdict in the case of Viasna leaders Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich and Uladzimir Labkovich, 14 international human rights groups including Human Rights Watch reiterate their calls to release the human rights defenders and drop all charges against them.
The closure of Azattyk Media will entail not only a restriction of freedom of speech and pluralism in the mass media, but also a restriction of citizens’ rights to access information.