Monument in the center of Bishkek, the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic. Photo CC-by-2.0: Alex A. Butler / Flickr. Some rights reserved.In Kyrgyzstan, independent publications are being shuttered left, right, and centre on far-fetched and often absurd pretexts. The authorities frequently bring criminal cases against human rights activists and journalists — in other cases, the state slams them with huge fines or seizes their property.
The unlucky ones who haven’t yet managed to flee the country end up behind bars or are banned from travelling abroad. We might as well rename the country — Absurdistan, perhaps?
The road to Absurdistan
Due to its relatively free environment for the media, Kyrgyzstan was once known as an “island of democracy” adrift in authoritarian Central Asia. That island is now sinking into a swamp, and the final cries of its once-famed freedom of speech are all that’s left to publish. Take it from me — my own experience in recent months is proof enough.
