The UN is concerned about the convictions of Rita Karasartova and Kloop Media employees, as well as the arrest of human rights defender Kamil Ruziev. The UN Human Rights Office published this statement on X.
The statement emphasizes that such actions could have a «serious chilling effect» on the work of human rights defenders and independent media in Kyrgyzstan.
It was previously reported that international human rights organizations are concerned about the harshness of the sentence handed down by the Pervomaisky District Court of Bishkek to two former Kloop camera operators.
The Belgian human rights NGO International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) called the charges baseless and called for their dismissal and the immediate release of the convicted individuals.
Amnesty International called the situation surrounding Kloop «an outrageous example of how criminal law is used to pressure the media.»
Judge Cholponai Umetalieva sentenced Zhoomart Duulatov and Alexander Alexandrov to five years in prison, to be served in a general regime penal colony. Two accountants from the editorial office, also defendants in the case, were sentenced to three years of probation supervision. The court found them guilty of inciting mass unrest.
Human rights activist Rita Karasartova was sentenced to five years of probation supervision and a fine of 50,000 soms. The Sverdlovsky District Court of Bishkek found her guilty under Articles 278 «Mass riots» and 327 «Public calls for the violent seizure of power» of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic.
