Kyrgyzstan - September 2025

Two cameramen for investigative journalism outlet Kloop were sentenced to five years in prison for ‘inciting mass unrest’ for allegedly producing five videos critical of the government. The trial marked a degradation of judicial processes in Kyrgyzstan, as no evidence was presented to show that the cameramen participated in the production of the videos, nor how the videos themselves contributed to ‘inciting mass unrest’. The videos were also not published by Kloop, but by the YouTube-based media outlet, Temirov Live, whose head said he did not know the cameramen. The prosecution’s case rested on the cameramen’s confessions, but both (Alexander Alexandrov and Zhoomart Duulatov) said they confessed under duress and in exchange for a promise to be sentenced to house arrest or conditional release. Both recanted their confessions when the prosecution instead pursued prison sentences. Human rights and press freedom advocates condemned the sentences as aimed at silencing independent journalists and further undermining press freedom in the country.

Sources: Kloop, The Diplomat, Human Rights Watch