Affiliated media: Kaktus.media, News website

Incident date: February 1, 2022

Attack type:

• Trolling

Who attacked: Unknown sources

Source: Kaktus.media

Location: Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek

Additional information:

Unknown people hacked the Instagram account of the news website Kaktus.media. At around 5:50 PM Bishkek time, the media's SMM specialists lost access to the account. A publication about the hacking attempt was accompanied by trolling with hate messages directed at the editorial office. Journalists had previously reported that since January 28, 2022, media professionals have repeatedly faced attempts to hack their messengers and social media accounts. This incident occurred in connection with a criminal case initiated against Kaktus.media over the publication about the conflict on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border and action by the media's opponents who gathered outside the editorial office on January 28 and demanded that Kaktus.media be closed.