1. Home
  2. Asia
  3. Kyrgyzstan

New media institute established to protect journalists

[Tajikistan] A Tajik woman scans a paper for the news in Dushanbe.
David Swanson/IRIN
Press freedom remain tenuous in the Central Asian state
A new, independent body has been set up in Kyrgyzstan to protect the rights of the media, offering legal counselling and conflict mediation. "The first and foremost goal of the Media Commissioner Institute is developing media legislation in Kyrgyzstan," media commissioner Shamaral Maichiev told IRIN from the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek on Monday. "We provide legal support to media, journalists and readers via legal counselling [services] on issues related to media activity." The institute is a self-regulating body whose main task is to prevent and mitigate conflicts, along with raising the population's awareness of international journalism standards, Maichiev explained. Established by Internews, an international media development network, in June and funded by the European Commission (EC), the new body aims to develop and reform media legislation, protect mass media and journalists and provide legal support in resolving conflicts involving the media. Since 1998 Internews has provided legal support to mass media organisations in the country. "This institute is a logical continuation of such work," Elvira Sarieva, managing director of Internews Kyrgyzstan, told IRIN from Bishkek. As for the significance of the new initiative, the first of its kind in Central Asia, Sarieva said it would contribute to the development of media in the country, given the experience of its media law specialists, and serve as an alternative, independent non-governmental body which journalists could approach in search of assistance. The issue of protecting media and journalists in the Central Asian country has become a hotly debated subject in recent years. Government officials, including the prime minister, have brought lawsuits against independent publications for alleged libel, demanding tens of thousands of dollars in damages. In one case in 2003, the independent Moya Stolitsa newspaper was fined an enormous amount of money by a city court in Bishkek, resulting in its bankruptcy and closure. In late 2003 Kyrgyz President Askar Akaev initiated a draft law on decriminalising libel, which has been subsequently overturned by the country's law-makers in June 2004. The legislators said that the libel laws were necessary in the run-up to parliamentary elections in February and presidential polls in October 2005, fearing an increase in biased and poorly-sourced critical publications. Meanwhile, one government media outlet was unconvinced about the future of the new body. "I don't know how this institute will protect the mass media," Aleksandr Malevanyi, editor-in-chief of Slovo Kyrgystana, a government-run newspaper, told IRIN. "I can't think how this public institute can interfere in court hearings if it's not going to be supported by some form of legislative framework." Rina Prizhivoyt, political editor at the independent Moya Stolitsa Novosti (MSN), successor to the defunct Moya Stolitsa newspaper, told IRIN it was too early to tell what impact the initiative could have. "In theory, the functions of the Media Representative [Institute] look quite attractive. However, it is too early to judge how the new structure will contribute to freedom of the press. Currently, the Media Representative considers several cases - suits against media outlets and journalists. We will see how the organisation will protect their interests and what they will achieve. We may make conclusions after that." The cornerstone of the issue of protecting the media was the judicial system, with the current legislative framework being adequate for regulating media related issues on condition that the judicial system functioned independently, she claimed. "Our courts are not independent and this is our biggest problem. Our courts make decisions which are dictated to them over the phone by the authorities."

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

Share this article

Get the day’s top headlines in your inbox every morning

Starting at just $5 a month, you can become a member of The New Humanitarian and receive our premium newsletter, DAWNS Digest.

DAWNS Digest has been the trusted essential morning read for global aid and foreign policy professionals for more than 10 years.

Government, media, global governance organisations, NGOs, academics, and more subscribe to DAWNS to receive the day’s top global headlines of news and analysis in their inboxes every weekday morning.

It’s the perfect way to start your day.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian today and you’ll automatically be subscribed to DAWNS Digest – free of charge.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian

Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

Join