Activist Kanykei Aranova Sentenced to Prison for 3.5 years
Bishkek Activist Sentenced to Three and a Half Years in Prison
On July 1, 2024, the Bishkek City Court handed down a sentence of three and a half years in prison to activist Kanykei Aranova, as reported by the Media Policy Institute.
The decision came after the judicial panel for criminal cases reviewed the case on June 28 and, based on the prosecutors’ submission, changed the initial verdict. Aranova was convicted under Article 330 of the Criminal Code for “Incitement of racial, ethnic, national, religious interregional hostility (discord)” and Article 327 for “Public calls for violent seizure of power.”
Following the sentencing, Aranova was taken into custody in the courtroom. Authorities also decided to transfer her 11-year-old daughter into the care of relatives.
Aranova, known for her active presence on social media, was detained in Moscow on February 1, 2024, and subsequently transported back to Kyrgyzstan with her daughter. This was not her first encounter with the law, as she had previously faced legal action in 2022 for speaking out against the transfer of land surrounding the Kempir-Abad reservoir.
The case has sparked controversy and sparked discussions about freedom of speech, activism, and the use of social media in Kyrgyzstan. The fate of Kanykei Aranova continues to be a subject of interest and concern in the country.
