Recently a growing number of journalists in Kyrgyzstan have been summoned for questioning by the National Security Service. The local organization - and IMS partner - Public Association "Journalist" says this practice might lead to even more self-censorship among Kyrgyz journalists

During the past few months the National Security Service have questioned several journalists in Kyrgyzstan about their work. On 5 December the independent journalist Rakhmanzhan Islamov, who is the founder of the Buran radio station, was called by the Department of the State Committee for National Security in Tokmok and told to stop investigating a robbery, which had taken place at a branch of the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan.

According to his lawyer, Maxim Kuleshov, who accompanied Rakhmanzhan Islamov to the meeting with government officials, an employee at the Department of the State Committee for National Security ordered Rakhmanzhan Islamov - in "a threatening manner" - to stop investigating the story and told him "it was none of his business".
 
In another case, journalist Vadim Nochevkin, who works for the independent newspaper "Delo N", was summoned for questioning by The State Committee for National Security because of a critical article he wrote about the Kyrgyz energy sector. According to Vadim Nochevkin's own account, the officers of the committee claimed that the article was "improperly written".
 
These and other similar incidents worry the Public Association "Journalists" based oin the capitol Bishkek, as the association fears that the growing attention of the National Security Service might lead to less critical journalism in the country and to more self-censorship among journalists.

Story about poor quality of flour lead to questioning

Following a story concerning the poor quality of flour imported from China that was published recently by the independent news agency "24 kg." the journalists behind the story were summoned for questioning by the Financial Police Department. Allegedly, the officers at the Financial Police Department demanded that the journalists disclosed details about how they had obtained this information and also demanding that they revealed the names and positions of their sources. 

According to the Public Association "Journalists" this is a violation of the article 8 of the Law on protection of the professional activities of journalists, which forbids interference in the professional work of journalists and prohibits anybody from demanding that journalists reveal their sources.