The Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan filed a lawsuit with the Leninsky District Court of Bishkek to terminate the activities of Azattyk Media (the Kyrgyz service of Radio Liberty/Free Europe) as a mass media outlet. This is stated in the notification sent to media organizations by the Ministry. No date has been given for going to court, Azattyk reports.
The lawsuit of the Ministry of Culture states that the video about the conflict on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border has not been removed and is being distributed on social networks. The actions of Azattyk contradict the requirements of the law of Kyrgyzstan "On the Mass Media", according to which propaganda of war, violence and cruelty, national, religious exclusivity and intolerance towards other peoples and nations is not allowed, the Azattyk quotes the Ministry.
Access to Azattyk was blocked on October 26, 2022 by decision of the Ministry of Culture. The reason was a story about the latest armed conflict on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border, shown in the program “Currently. Asia” (based in Bishkek, a division of the TV channel “Present Time”).
CentralasianLIGHT.org
January 23, 2023