Kyrgyzstan convicts media workers for producing videos critical of the government

Human Rights Research Center
6 days ago
3 min read

September 26, 2025

HRRC condemns the decision of a Kyrgyz court to sentence two camera operators to five years in prison. Joomart Duulatov and Alexander Alexandrov have been arrested without warrant, denied a fair trial and convicted without evidence. The convictions are an infringement on freedom of the press in Kyrgyzstan and the court must act to immediately to reverse their decision and release the pair.

Kloop Media sign in the office of Kloop Media Public Foundation. [Image credit: RFE/RL]

A court in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek drew widespread condemnation from human rights groups this week when they sentenced camera operators Joomart Duulatov and Alexander Alexandrov to five years in prison. The pair, who previously worked for the media company Kloop, were convicted on charges of issuing “public calls for mass unrest.”

Duulatov and Alexandrov had already departed Kloop when they were originally detained by the State Committee on National Security (SCNS) in May of this year. They, along with six of their former colleagues, were taken in for questioning, denied access to lawyers, and given no reason for their detention. At the time, Kloop founder Rinat Tuhvatshin described the arrests as “abductions,” whereas investigators stated that his organisation had published media which served as an “incitement to mass riots.”

Officials insisted that Duulatov and Alexandrov had created videos for Temirov Live, a YouTube channel with links to exiled journalist Bolot Temirov. The Kyrgyz government have levelled several charges at Temirov, including forgery of official documents, drug dealing and active civil disobedience.

President Sadyr Japarov has also stated that Temirov had only received his Kyrgyz passport through fraudulent means and that he is in fact a Russian citizen. Supporters of Temirov believe that all government actions are politically motivated and solely related to the fact that Temirov was key in exposing high level corruption within the country.

In May, a government spokesperson said that Temirov paid Duulatov and Alexandrov to produce videos that included fake investigations. However, during their September trial the lawyers for the accused told the court that the defendants had nothing to do with the production or distribution of such videos. Moreover, at no point during the trial were the prosecution able to produce any evidence that linked Temirov or Duulatov to the videos in question.

The conviction and harsh sentencing of Temirov and Duulatov ushers in a period of vulnerability for press freedom in Kyrgyzstan. The ability to report freely and in contradiction with the government now seem to be things of the past. The increased possibility of lengthy prison sentences for innocent members of the media is likely to vastly reduce the effectiveness of an industry that is trying to hold their own government accountable.

Glossary

Civil disobedience – the peaceful refusal to obey certain laws or rules as a form of protest against perceived injustice.
Condemnation – strong disapproval or criticism, often expressed publicly.
Contradiction – a statement or situation in which two things cannot both be true.
Corruption – dishonest or illegal behaviour, especially by people in power.
Defendants – people accused of a crime and being tried in court.
Detained – kept in custody by authorities, usually for questioning or investigation.
Detention – the act of holding someone in custody.
Exiled – forced to live outside one’s country, often for political reasons.
Fraudulent – something that is dishonest, false, or intended to cheat or trick people, usually for personal or financial gain.
Forgery – the crime of making a false document, signature, or object with the intent to deceive.
Lengthy – very long, often more than is necessary.
Mass unrest – widespread public disorder or protest, often involving large groups of people.
Prosecution – the legal process of charging someone with a crime and trying to prove their guilt in court.
Warrant – an official legal document issued by a court or authority that gives permission to carry out an action, such as making an arrest, or searching property.

Sources

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Kyrgyzstan convicts media workers for producing videos critical of the government

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