Conclusion of 24.kg News Agency Management’s Interrogation
24.kg News Agency Raided by Kyrgyz Security Forces
Bishkek – The director general and editors-in-chief of 24.kg news agency, Asel Otorbaeva, Anton Lymar, and Makhinur Niyazova, were interrogated and signed non-disclosure agreements as part of a criminal case initiated under Article 407, “Propaganda of War.”
Otorbaeva expressed strong disagreement with the conclusions of an expert examination conducted as part of the case.
On the morning of January 15, 2024, employees of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) arrived at the office of 24.kg news agency and seized computers, laptops, electronic media, and other material evidence relevant to the criminal case. The SCNS cited the article “Propaganda of War” of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic as the reason for the raid.
The agency’s leadership was taken for interrogation, and operational and investigative measures are currently being carried out.
This event has raised concerns about press freedom and freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan. The actions of the SCNS and the criminal case against 24.kg news agency have drawn attention from local and international human rights organizations. Critics argue that such actions may have a chilling effect on independent journalism in the country.
The situation is developing, and further updates on the case are expected to come to light in the near future.
