Vienna / Bishkek, 23 March 2026 — Freedom for Eurasia welcomes the decision of the Leninskiy District Court in Bishkek to release media director Makhabat Tajibek kyzy from detention into house arrest with a travel ban after more than two years in custody. Her release marks an important, albeit overdue, step toward restoring justice and reuniting her with her family, including her teenage son.
At the same time, we express deep concern that the court, under Judge Temirbek Mamatov, has refused to dismiss the charges against her or grant a full acquittal. The continuation of these proceedings, alongside the imposition of a travel ban and the prospect of a retrial, underscores the ongoing use of criminal law as a tool of pressure against independent journalism in Kyrgyzstan.
Makhabat Tajibek kyzy, director of the investigative platforms Temirov Live and Ait Ait Dese, was detained in January 2024 alongside colleagues and later sentenced to six years in prison on charges of allegedly inciting mass unrest. These charges have been widely regarded by international observers and civil society as politically motivated and directly linked to her anti-corruption reporting. Her husband, investigative journalist Bolot Temirov who was stripped of his Kyrgyz citizenship and deported from Kyrgyzstan, remains in exile and unable to be with his wife and their child.
Freedom for Eurasia reiterates that partial relief measures, such as house arrest, do not remedy the fundamental injustice of this case.
We call on the authorities of Kyrgyzstan to:
- Immediately drop all charges against Makhabat Tajibek kyzy;
- Ensure her full acquittal and legal rehabilitation;
- Guarantee that journalists and media workers can operate without fear of retaliation or politically motivated prosecution.
This case remains a critical test of Kyrgyzstan’s commitment to rule of law, media freedom, and its international human rights obligations.