A court in Kyrgyzstan has ordered the release of a well-known investigative journalist, Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy, after 18 months in detention, though she remains under a travel ban while awaiting a new trial.
The Lenin District Court’s decision on Monday followed a Supreme Court ruling earlier this month that overturned her six-year prison sentence and directed a fresh hearing. Her husband, Bolot Temirov, editor-in-chief of the investigative outlet Temirov Live, confirmed the news on social media, stating her preventive measure had been changed to a travel ban.
Despite the release, the court declined to drop the criminal case or remove findings from a forensic linguistic analysis used as evidence, which authorities claim shows a legal violation.
Tazhibek kyzy was the final colleague still behind bars following a sweeping police operation in January 2024, during which authorities detained a group of journalists on accusations of inciting and organizing mass riots. She received a six-year sentence in October 2024. Among the 11 journalists originally arrested, colleague Azamat Ishenbekov was sentenced to five years but later pardoned by the president. Two others, Aktilek Kaparov and Aike Beishekeeva, received probation, while the remaining journalists were acquitted due to insufficient evidence.
The mass detentions and subsequent trials sparked widespread international criticism. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Reporters Without Borders, accused Kyrgyzstan of attempting to silence free expression.
The Supreme Court agreed to review the case and nullify Tazhibek kyzy’s sentence after a United Nations working group publicly urged for her release. Temirov attributed the outcome to global advocacy, saying international pressure made the release possible, but stressed that the fight is not over. He noted there is still work ahead to fully exonerate his wife and others involved.