Kuttumidin Bazarkulov

Affiliated media: moderator.kg, Independent journalist

Incident date: May 18, 2022

Attack type:

Bullying, intimidation, pressure, threats of violence and death, including cyber-

Who attacked: Authorities

Location: Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek

Additional information:

Relatives of journalist Kuttumidin Bazarkulov, who is in custody, said that the State Committee for National Security put pressure on the court. Bazarkulov himself made an appeal and reported that he was persecuted by the authorities. He claimed that the initiation of the criminal case against him was groundless, and he called the violations during the tenders, due to which he was detained, a lie. Bazarkulov is accused of «abuse of office» while heading the Jalal-Abad regional TV and radio company. The prosecution believes that in 2015, when Bazarkulov was the head of the Jalal-Abad regional TV and radio company, the law was violated and low-quality equipment was purchased during a tender. The journalist was detained in November 2021 and placed in a pre-trial detention center. In March 2022, the journalist’s health deteriorated and employees called an ambulance to the detention center.