The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has strongly condemned the sentencing of two Kyrgyzstani journalists, Joomart Duulatov and Aleksandr Aleksandrov, who have been handed a five-year prison term each by a Kyrgyzstan court. The journalists, both cameramen for the investigative agency Kloop, were arrested on May 28, accused of inciting riots—a charge they vehemently deny.

Kloop, known for its assertive anti-corruption reporting, has faced severe restrictions, including a website blockade within Kyrgyzstan since 2023 and a formal shutdown ordered by the Kyrgyzstan Supreme Court in 2024. This crackdown has pushed most Kloop journalists to continue their work from exile.

The charges against Duulatov and Aleksandrov reportedly stem from a video produced not by Kloop but by another investigative outlet, Temirov Live, which has also faced its share of governmental pressure. Bolot Temirov, the founder of Temirov Live, asserts that the contentious video was solely his organization's effort. The video in question featured the phrase, "Freedom is not granted, freedom is sought," which became a point of contention in the charges.

This incident is part of a broader pattern of repression in Kyrgyzstan, where the government has increasingly targeted independent media and journalists. In January 2024, eleven journalists from Temirov Live were arrested on similar charges of inciting riots. The founder, Bolot Temirov, has been in exile since 2022, and other key figures associated with the outlet have faced severe sentences.

Despite constitutional protections for press freedom, all traditional media outlets in Kyrgyzstan are state-owned, and independent journalism is consistently met with hostility, including arbitrary arrests and intimidation campaigns. Rights organizations have noted a significant uptick in government persecution of the press since 2022.

Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, stated, "Kyrgyzstan has shifted from being a haven for the free press to a country that regularly jails journalists in retaliation for their work." She called for the immediate release of the imprisoned journalists, highlighting the baseless nature of their detention and the chilling effect it has on free speech and journalistic integrity in the region.

The international community continues to watch as the situation for journalists in Kyrgyzstan remains precarious, with calls for action resonating among global human rights and press freedom groups.