BISHKEK. April 27 (Interfax) - The Leninsky District Court of Bishkek has ruled to grant the Kyrgyz Culture Ministry's motion on closing down Azattyk Media (the Kyrgyz service of Radio Liberty, designated as a foreign agent in Russia), the court's press service told Interfax.
The Kyrgyz Culture, Information, Sports, and Youth Policy Ministry told Interfax on January 23 that it had filed a motion with the Leninsky District Court to shut down Azattyk Media as a media outlet.
The ministry reasoned that Azattyk Media had ignored the demand that it remove a video on the conflict on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border in September 2022.
"Azattyk Media's actions are in breach of the Law on Mass Media, whose Article 23 prohibits propaganda of war, violence and cruelty, ethnic or religious exceptionalism, and intolerance towards other peoples and nations," the Culture Ministry said.
On September 16, 2022, the Culture Ministry identified a video on the Current Time website (an Azattyk Media subsidiary designated as a foreign agent in Russia) containing "elements of hate speech and unconfirmed information." The media outlet ignored the demand that the video be deleted, which prompted the blocking of the website. As reported later, Azattyk Media's bank accounts were blocked, as well.