In a seemingly ordinary, albeit high-end Kyrgyz wedding ceremony, a young couple named Alanur and Bakai took center stage, surrounded by music, lights,
Raimbek Matraimov, a shadowy Kyrgyz political operator, has long denied his ties to Khabibula Abdukadyr, the secretive tycoon who made millions in alleged smuggling with his help. In 2021, his son .
Kloop Media, a leading independent media organization in Kyrgyzstan, is currently facing a lawsuit to shut it down, initiated on August 22 by the Kyrgyzstani authorities due to its journalistic activities. Although Kloop is determined to survive, this is yet another serious blow against freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan.
In the same week that a top Kyrgyz media outlet confirmed that authorities were trying to shut it down, the Culture Ministry blocked TikTok. Long recognized as Central Asia’s most-free state, Kyrgyzstan seems intent on shedding that tag.
The Kyrgyz media outlet, known for its reporting on corruption, is under pressure once again for publishing materials “aimed at sharply criticizing the policies of the current government.”