HRW condemns conviction of Kyrgyz whistle-blower as part of widening crackdown on critics – JURIST
Human Rights Watch (HRW) voiced alarm on Friday over the conviction of Kyrgyz whistleblower Zhoomart Karabaev, calling it a troubling example of how Kyrgyzstan’s justice system punishes those who dare to expose corruption. His case, they warn, reflects a broader pattern of retaliatory prosecutions targeting government critics.
Judge Nurdin Ibraimov of the Pervomaysky District Court found Karabaev guilty under Part 3 of Article 278 (“mass riots calling for active disobedience against government officials”) and Part 1 of Part 2 of Article 327 (“public calls for violent seizure of power”) of Kyrgyzstan’s Criminal Code. The court sentenced him to three years of probation and a fine. The charges stemmed from Karabaev’s social media posts alleging government corruption in the production of expert evidence used to convict political dissidents. His legal team has announced plans to appeal the verdict.
Karabaev, a 27-year old linguistics expert, was arrested in July 2024 after posting a series of detailed allegations on Facebook, accusing Kyrgyz authorities of systematically manipulating linguistic “expert” testimony in politically motivated trials. At the time, Karabaev had already been dismissed from the National Academy of Sciences for refusing to alter a linguistic report to match the prosecution’s demands, an act his former employer claimed amounted to “disclosing state secrets.”
Following his conviction, Karabaev took to Facebook to thank his supporters and vow to continue challenging the verdict: “Of course, the above decision is illegal. We will appeal this decision to a higher court. No matter what decision is made, I will not regret anything.” He also gave an interview to an independent media outlet in which he discussed what he called “illegal political and linguistic examinations,” described the conditions in Kyrgyzstan’s temporary detention centers, and reflected on the pressures he experienced while working at the National Academy.
HRW condemned the conviction, saying the government targeted Karabaev not for any criminal conduct, but for revealing the state’s reliance on fabricated expert analysis to secure convictions in free speech and extremism cases.
“Karabaev’s posts exposed a practice that would indicate corruption at the heart of what is supposed to be a system of fair trial,” said Syinat Sultanalieva, HRW’s Central Asia researcher. “It is outrageous that, instead, authorities prosecuted and punished the messenger, a chilling sign of how far the state will go to crackdown on free speech and opposing views.”
HRW’s report explains that linguistic experts in Kyrgyzstan are frequently asked to review journalists’ and activists’ public comments, social media posts, or interviews and determine whether they include elements of extremism, calls for unrest, or incitement to disobedience. These findings often become the primary—if not the only—evidence in speech-related criminal trials.
Karabaev had alleged that expert opinions issued by the National Academy of Sciences were often pre-written by the prosecution or security services and merely signed by cooperating experts. One of them, Azamat Zhanishbek Uulu, has been involved in at least seven high-profile prosecutions, including the recent convictions of Temirov.Live journalists and writer Olzhobay Shakir, who received five years in prison for criticizing the government’s transfer of national resorts to Uzbekistan. His sentence was later reduced to three years’ probation.
In Karabaev’s own case, prosecutors again relied on Zhanishbek Uulu to analyze Karabaev’s posts, concluding that they contained elements of incitement—a move HRW called an “outrageous violation” of fair process.
Karabaev’s conviction comes amid an escalating campaign by the Kyrgyz government to silence independent journalism. Just two days after the verdict, Amnesty International reported that the State Committee for National Security (GKNB) conducted sweeping raids in Bishkek and Osh, targeting Kloop Media, one of the country’s leading investigative news outlets. At least eight journalists and staff were detained or interrogated and lawyers reported that detainees were denied access to legal counsel for over six hours, and some remain in custody on vague accusations of “inciting mass unrest.” Amnesty International called the arrests part of a “broader, intensifying campaign of harassment” against journalists.
“Detaining journalists for their work, denying access to legal counsel, and carrying out warrantless searches of homes violates both Kyrgyzstan’s own legal obligations and international human rights standards,” said Marie Struthers, Amnesty’s director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
In July 2024, the Kyrgyz Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling to liquidate the Kloop Media Foundation, effectively siding with government prosecutors who accused the outlet of operating beyond its charter and negatively influencing public perception through critical reporting.
