Ulugbek Babakulov

Affiliated media: Fergana agency, Journalist

Incident date: June 5, 2017

Attack type:

• Ban on leaving the country

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Radio Azattyk

Location: Kyrgyzstan

Additional information:

The journalist analysed comments under articles on social media on the topic of interethnic relations between Kyrgyz and Uzbek people (the main ethnic groups living in Kyrgyzstan, between which there were 2 outbreaks of ethnic violence with a large number of dead and injured). The journalist wrote an article about the fact that the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) was not paying attention to acts of ethnic hatred and gave examples. In response to his article, the SCNS opened a criminal case against him for inciting ethnic hatred (what we call illegal extremism, since this article is anti-extremist). According to the court's decision, he was forbidden to leave the country and placed under house arrest.