Kyrgyz Court Labels Three Independent Media Outlets “Extremist”

Three independent media outlets in Kyrgyzstan — Temirov Live, Kloop.kg, and Ait Ait Dese — have been officially designated as “extremist organizations,” Orda.kz reports.

According to Kaktus.media, the Bishkek District Court issued the ruling on October 27, upholding a claim by the prosecutor’s office. The decision effectively blocks the outlets’ online operations and bans the dissemination of their content.

The ruling extends not only to the media projects themselves but also to the activities of journalists Bolot Temirov and Rinat Tukhvatshin. Oversight of the enforcement was assigned to the Service for Regulation and Supervision of Communications under the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media of Kyrgyzstan.

The move marks another escalation in the Kyrgyz authorities’ pressure on independent media.

In May, journalists from Kloop.kg were detained and interrogated without legal representation. Police arrested seven individuals — three current staff members, two former editors, and two associates present during the arrests.

In August, four former Kloop employees faced trial for “inciting unrest.” Authorities claimed the outlet’s publications posed a threat to state stability. Two former cameramen were subsequently sentenced to five years in prison over videos they reportedly had not produced.

Original Author: Alina Pak