Court Orders Journalist Kanyshai Mamyrkulova Held in Custody
Preliminary Hearing for Journalist Kanyshai Mamyrkulova Held in Bishkek
Kanyshai Mamyrkulova faces serious charges in Oktyabrsky District Court
Date: April 30, 2025
Publisher: 24.kg News Agency
Author: Aizhan Kerimova
Bishkek – A preliminary hearing regarding journalist Kanyshai Mamyrkulova took place today at the Oktyabrsky District Court in Bishkek. According to her lawyer, Nurbek Sydykov, the judge denied the defense’s request to alter the measure of restraint imposed on Mamyrkulova.
The court will next consider the journalist’s case in detail on May 14, with proceedings set to commence at 10 a.m.
Mamyrkulova was detained on March 20 and has been charged under several serious articles of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic, including "Call for mass riots" and "Incitement of racial, ethnic, national, religious, or interregional hostility." Investigators allege that she disseminated false information regarding the Kyrgyz-Tajik border, raising concerns that such actions could destabilize the national situation.
The Main Department of Internal Affairs has reported that a forensic linguistic examination affirmed the presence of incitements to violence in Mamyrkulova’s statements, which constituted the legal basis for initiating her case.
Following her detention, a court ruling on March 22 mandated her arrest until the conclusion of the investigation on May 19. In April, the Bishkek City Court upheld this decision after reviewing her appeal, despite a prior complaint to the Sverdlovsky District Court regarding the lawfulness of the investigation’s actions during Mamyrkulova’s detention.
Kanyshai Mamyrkulova is recognized for her critical commentary on the authorities via social media platforms, putting her in a contentious spotlight in Kyrgyzstan’s complex political landscape.
