Asel Argymbaeva also noted that the defense will insist on compliance with the recommendations of international structures, including the decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which previously recognized the journalist's arrest as unlawful and called for her immediate release.
In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court of Kyrgyzstan sent the case of Mahabat Tajibek kyzy back for reconsideration in the district court.
The judicial panel annulled the previous decisions of the instances, and the new case will be reviewed by a new composition of the court.
Mahabat Tajibek kyzy, the wife of the famous investigative journalist Bolot Temirov, was detained in January 2024 along with other participants of media projects, and they were charged with organizing mass riots.
It should be noted that on October 10, 2024, the Lenin District Court of Bishkek sentenced the journalist to six years in prison. This sentence was later upheld by the Bishkek City Court, and in February 2025, the Supreme Court confirmed the decisions of the lower instances.
The defense filed a petition for reconsideration of the case based on newly discovered circumstances, which led to the case being sent for a new review in the district court.
International human rights organizations and representatives of the media community had previously called on the authorities of Kyrgyzstan to reconsider the decision in the journalist's case. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention stated the illegality of her arrest and the necessity of its annulment.
Amnesty International and other human rights groups urged the Kyrgyz authorities to release Mahabat Tajibek kyzy. Marie Strazhers, Director of Amnesty International for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, noted that the authorities have a choice: to follow international human rights obligations or to continue ignoring them.
