The court session will take place against the backdrop of a recent conclusion by a UN working group, which recognized that the arrest and detention of Tajibek kyzy are arbitrary and violate international norms.
It is important to note that Mahabat Tajibek kyzy is the mother of a minor child. However, the court denied her a deferral of the sentence, despite the fact that such an option is provided for by the legislation of Kyrgyzstan, as reported by human rights organizations.
It is worth reminding that on January 16, 2024, a mass detention occurred in Kyrgyzstan, resulting in the arrest of 11 individuals associated with the journalistic projects Temirov LIVE and "Ayt, Ayt dese." Journalists became targets of accusations of "calls for mass riots" for their professional activities.
On October 10, 2024, the Lenin District Court in Bishkek sentenced Mahabat Tajibek kyzy, the head of Temirov LIVE, to 6 years in prison. On December 18, 2024, the Bishkek City Court upheld this decision, and on February 25, 2025, the Supreme Court left the sentence unchanged.
Human rights defenders emphasize that in its conclusion, the UN working group on arbitrary detention noted that Kyrgyzstan violated seven articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and six articles of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The working group's conclusion is that the imprisonment of Tajibek kyzy is a consequence of her lawful exercise of the right to freedom of expression and journalistic activities aimed at investigating corruption.
In response to the UN conclusion, the lawyer for Mahabat Tajibek kyzy initiated a new petition in the Supreme Court of the Kyrgyz Republic for a review of the case in light of new circumstances. Activists have called on international human rights organizations, diplomats, and media representatives to attend the court session as observers.
