Batmakan Zholbolduyeva

Affiliated media: YouTube channel Batma-bat, Blogger

Incident date: May 22, 2023

Attack type:

• Court trial

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: 24.kg

Location: Kyrgyzstan, Batken

Additional information:

The Batken Regional Court ruled and changed the verdict of the district court. Batmakan Zholbolduyeva was acquitted of two episodes relating to the death of the AKIpress journalist Arzygul Galymbetova. The latter, the day before her death, wrote on her Facebook page that the blogger allegedly wished «her death and put a spell on her». The court also lifted Zholbolduyeva’s ban on her blogging activities. In addition, the blogger was sentenced to a fine of KGS 50,000 (USD 568) under the «hooliganism» article, and the court imposed a one-year probation on her for forging documents, for which she was also accused. Zholbolduyeva was detained last year in a criminal case against her for negligent homicide. Two more charges were later brought against her. In August 2022, the blogger was placed under house arrest.