CPJ concerned about press freedom

While the press in Kyrgyzstan has enjoyed a reputation for greater freedom than in any other Central Asian republic, that freedom has in fact been eroding since the mid-1990s, according to the annual report of US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an international nonpartisan watchdog group established to monitor abuses against the press and promote press freedom around the world. In 2000, pressure on the independent media greatly intensified in advance of parliamentary and presidential elections, it said. "Many observers believe President Askar Akayev is resorting to more ruthless tactics as the economic miracle he promised fails to materialise. A CPJ research mission just before the 29 October presidential poll documented widespread intimidation of the media via official threats, punitive tax audits and costly law suits," the report said.